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When he finally came to, Hayato looked down at his now-naked body and couldn't help but shake his head with a bitter smile. Every time he transformed into the Hulk, this always happened.
Thankfully, whenever he did transform and go on a rampage, he usually wiped out everything nearby, so there was never anyone around to see him like this.
At least he didn't have to worry about being mistaken for some kind of pervert.
Thinking back to when he passed out, Hayato had a vague idea of what caused it. It seemed like every time he transformed into the Hulk and grew bigger, he would lose consciousness as soon as the transformation ended.
Getting to his feet, Hayato looked around for something to wear, but just as he expected—nothing. There was absolutely nothing left to wear.
That hulking form of his always smashed everything to pieces during a fight, so it wasn't like any spare clothes ever survived.
Still, when he remembered who he'd killed while transformed this time, his expression grew complicated."Orochimaru, huh? Didn't expect that. So what happens to the story now that I killed him? Guess it doesn't matter. Ever since I arrived in this world, the plot's already gone way off track anyway."
Shaking his head again, Hayato casually grabbed some leaves and other stuff nearby to cover himself.
Even though there was no one around, you never know. And besides, he wasn't the kind of guy who enjoyed strutting around butt-naked just because he could.
Chasing after Orochimaru had taken him pretty far from where he originally lived. Luckily, his body was way stronger than before, so even though it was a long trek, it didn't take him much time to get back.
But when he finally returned to his place, he couldn't help letting out a sigh. His house had been destroyed—again.
It had been caught up in the aftermath of the battle. Even though it was built with solid stone, it still couldn't hold up against that level of destruction.
Taking a deep breath, Hayato got to work clearing the rubble. After some digging, he found the clothes he'd stored there earlier and quickly changed into them. Finally—no more cold wind on his junk.
"Looks like it's time to move again," he muttered. After all, the Konoha ninja had already found this place—and not just once.
Hayato didn't really think they could hurt him, but they were definitely a pain to deal with. So he decided it was time to pack up and leave, to find somewhere no one could track him down—a quiet place to train and get stronger.
Right now, there was only one thing on his mind: leveling up his strength. He wanted to be strong enough to protect himself without relying on the Hulk's power. Or at the very least, he hoped to retain some shred of rationality while in Hulk form.
But honestly, either of those goals was easier said than done.
After grabbing his spare clothes and some money he'd hidden, Hayato set out. He wasn't sure where he was going—just somewhere far away from the frontlines between Konoha and Amegakure.
Along the way, he saw a lot of tragic sights. Some were so desperate to survive, they'd resorted to eating human flesh.
Most of the time, they were eating corpses, but still... The war between the Land of Fire (Konoha) and the Land of Rain had made an already harsh environment even worse. Seeing this kind of stuff filled Hayato with rage, and he didn't hesitate to kill the ones who ate other people.
But deep down, he knew that just killing a few of them wouldn't change anything. As long as living conditions stayed this bad, the cannibalism would continue. The problem ran deeper.
Knowing this made him grow quieter and more withdrawn. Still, whenever he saw someone resorting to eating others, he couldn't stop himself from stepping in and killing them.
Hayato didn't think of himself as some noble hero. If it came down to it, he could do some pretty terrible things just to survive too.
But even so, he still had his own line he wouldn't cross. And when he saw something that went against that line, he'd act. No matter what.
"....."