But.
As Naruto was about to speak, he suddenly remembered the hardships of his life over the years, especially when he was a child before he started training his chakra. He recalled the scenes of him, alone, dragging his thin, small body, trying to find food.
Back then.
He had risked heatstroke, trudging through the sweltering summer to pick wild fruits and vegetables.
He had also worn thin clothes in the freezing winter, searching under the icy snow for something to fill his stomach.
And in the harvest season of autumn, he had risked being attacked by wild beasts to enter the forest, just to store a little more food for the winter.
During that time, he had no demands for food; as long as it filled his stomach, that was enough. Many times, just being full was a happy thing.
If he got sick, it would be even more troublesome. He could only struggle to fight it alone, even dragging his diseased body to find food.
Back then, he was filled with hatred and disgust for this village, vowing to slaughter certain old geezers in the future. His resentment could be said to have accumulated to the extreme.
If Hinata hadn't appeared, if this silly girl hadn't occasionally shown him care...
Naruto might not be in the state he was now. He might have become like the Gaara of his childhood, consumed by violence and hatred, since he wasn't that Naruto.
Now.
Although he maintained his mindset and stayed true to himself, he was still filled with resentment, which was one of the reasons he argued with people.
And now, looking at Kakashi, Naruto saw his lazy demeanor, saw how he always focused on Sasuke, and suddenly spoke.
"Kakashi, your name sounds familiar. I think I've heard it somewhere. Have we met? You should be a very powerful Jonin, right?" Naruto asked intentionally.
"Well, I do have a bit of a reputation, but we haven't met before, otherwise, we wouldn't be introducing ourselves like this," Kakashi said, shrugging.
"That's true. Why would I ask such a stupid question, hahaha."
Naruto laughed and didn't say anything else. Instead, he looked towards Hinata's house, because only Hinata made him feel a sliver of concern.
Across the way.
Kakashi gave Naruto a puzzled look, then continued, "Who's next to introduce themselves?"
"Me! Me!" Sakura raised her hand happily and began to introduce herself.
\n\n
After more than ten minutes.
Everyone finished talking, and Kakashi lazily stood up.
"Alright, remember not to eat anything tomorrow morning, you'll throw up."
Kakashi said, then vanished with a whoosh, his strength as a ninja on full display.
"Sasuke, let's go."
Sakura immediately looked at Sasuke, inviting him to leave together.
"Yeah."
Sasuke nodded and stood up, then turned to look at Naruto, who was still sitting there.
"Naruto, how did you discover Kakashi-sensei ahead of time?" Sasuke suddenly asked.
"I just did, what? You think I was just guessing?" Naruto looked at Sasuke, a smile playing on his lips.
"I don't know."
Sasuke shook his head. He wanted to ask about that bald monk's cultivation method, but ultimately didn't. Instead, he decided to figure it out himself in the coming days.
Loss, loss, loss.
Sasuke and Sakura left, heading towards their respective homes. Only Naruto remained, sitting quietly for a long, long time.
"Naruto..."
A sweet voice came from the side, tinged with shyness and gentleness, but it was exceptionally pleasant to hear.
Naruto turned his head. A petite and adorable figure came into view. It was none other than Hinata, with her signature short hairstyle.
Naruto had already sensed Hinata approaching from a distance; his perception wasn't just for show. However, he needed to give some thought to his attitude toward Konoha.
"Hinata, come sit next to me," Naruto said, gesturing to the space beside him.
"Okay."
Little Hinata obediently came over and sat down next to Naruto, her small, fair hands clasped together. "Naruto, why didn't you go home?"
"It's all the same whether I go home or not. There's no one there anyway," Naruto replied, shaking his head.
"Naruto..."
Hinata was slightly stunned by this. Her little face was troubled as she tried to comfort Naruto, but she didn't know how. In the end, she just stupidly clutched at the corner of Naruto's clothes.
Naruto easily noticed her adorable demeanor. He felt a warmth in his heart and said, "If Hinata comes home with me, I'd be very happy to go home."
"Ah, um..."
Hinata, sensitive as she was, detected a subtle difference in Naruto's tone. Her face flushed crimson, and she nearly fainted from shyness, but she still mustered the courage to reply.
"I'm doing well."
[Experience +1]
Hearing Hinata's soft, gentle voice, the smile on Naruto's face softened even more.
"Let's go, Hinata. I'll cook you a big meal today. What do you want to eat?"
"Braised Pork," Hinata said, embarrassed.
"Braised Pork? Alright."
Naruto had always thought girls preferred vegetarian dishes. But Hinata actually loved Braised Pork, and she'd eaten it just yesterday. He'd expected her to choose something different, but no, it was still Braised Pork.
It doesn't matter though, Braised Pork is really simple to make. If Hinata likes it, then I'll just make more for her.
After they spoke, the two of them walked home together.
As they passed a shop, Hinata bought a large amount of ingredients, and the amount of meat was twice as much as yesterday.
Seeing Hinata struggling to carry a large pile of ingredients out of the shop, Naruto felt a bit speechless. However, he didn't say anything and instead reached out to take the ingredients.
"Naruto, let's carry these together. It's heavy."
Hinata was worried that Naruto would be too tired carrying them. She didn't want Naruto to work hard, so she wanted them to carry them together.
"It's okay, give it to me."
Naruto took the bag of ingredients, easily holding it in his left hand without any feeling of strain.
"Naruto, you're so strong."
Hinata was a little surprised to see this. The bag of groceries was especially heavy; she needed both hands to lift it, but Naruto was able to lift it with just one hand.
His strength was much greater than hers. The key was that Naruto's physique only looked a little stronger than before, nothing special, which surprised Hinata.
"You forgot I won arm-wrestling against Sasuke?" Naruto said with a smile.
"Oh, right, I forgot about that." Hinata scratched her head foolishly, feeling a bit clumsy around Naruto.
"Let's go, I'll let you eat your fill today."
"Mmm, eat my fill."
Hinata licked her lips, revealing her true nature as a little foodie, as if she was really ready to eat her fill.
[Experience +1]
Meanwhile.
At the Hyuga Clan's compound, in the head family's dining room.
Hyuga Hiashi and Hanabi were sitting together, eating. Hanabi was happily enjoying her meal, but Hyuga Hiashi seemed to have lost his appetite.
"Father, why aren't you eating?" Hanabi asked, looking at Hyuga Hiashi curiously.
"No appetite. I don't feel like eating," Hyuga Hiashi said, shaking his head.
"Isn't this your favorite dish? How could you not have an appetite?" Hanabi asked, tilting her head as she tasted the delicious food.
"You'll understand later. Besides, why isn't your sister back yet? I gave her plenty of money to come back early," Hyuga Hiashi said, a little displeased.
"Huh? Why are you giving me money, sis?" Hanabi asked, bewildered.
"You'll understand later. Just eat your food for now. Eat a lot, make sure you're full."
"Oh?"
Hanabi looked at her father with a strange expression, feeling that he was acting a little unusual today.
But since her father wasn't eating the delicious food, she decided to eat her fill. After all, her father had given her permission, so she started to enjoy her meal.
....
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