"Those azure blades just now… Naruto did that? How is that even possible…"Ino sat on the ground beside Hinata, murmuring in disbelief.
Sasuke's crimson eyes burned—the single tomoe of his newly awakened Sharingan spinning as he glared in that direction.
The image of that wind blade, replayed in his mind again and again.
He had lost his entire clan just to awaken a single-tomoe Sharingan, and even learned a new Fire Release technique. He thought he was far ahead of his peers.
Yet compared to that one slash, he felt utterly ashamed.
And the one who unleashed that slash… was Naruto.That gap made Sasuke grind his teeth until they nearly shattered.
Shikamaru scratched the back of his head."What a troublesome guy. Clearly one strike was enough to end it, but he still had to make it look cool."
Even though he said that, deep down Shikamaru was just as shocked by that blade.
With the crisis over, the students finally relaxed.
A small boy asked Iruka, wide-eyed:"Iruka-sensei, what Naruto just used—was that a Wind Release jutsu? What rank was it? It was amazing!"
"Yeah, super cool! Iruka-sensei, can I learn it too?"
Others quickly joined in, clamoring with questions.
For a moment, even Iruka was at a loss. Not just the students—even he, their teacher, had never seen or heard of such a technique.
No hand seals… that instant burst of speed and destructive power made even him feel a chill.
'If I had been the one facing that slash, I'd probably have been cut to pieces instantly…'
Iruka thought helplessly, more and more uncertain of how he was supposed to guide Naruto.
Naruto looked down at the wild boar remains at his feet, a sense of familiarity washing over him.
The sensation of cutting through it… was the same as when he split that boar from before.
Then he remembered the madness in the boar's eyes, and realization dawned.
The family of four had finally been reunited.
'Good.'
***
October 10th.The sky hung gray, threatening rain.
The mood in Konoha matched the weather—heavy, oppressive.
Because today was Naruto's eighth birthday.
And also, the death anniversary of many who had perished under the Nine-Tails' claws.
Waves of villagers, carrying flowers and grim faces, made their way to the cemetery.
Naruto, however, didn't leave his house today.He sat silently inside, watching TV.
He had no plans to celebrate. In his previous life too, birthdays had been nothing special.
At most, he'd go to M's Place, order a cheap set meal, stick a French fry into a burger with ketchup on top, and make a simple wish.
On TV, a movie starring Fujikaze Yukie was playing.
The plot was absurdly melodramatic.
'But better to watch a trash movie than endure those needle-like glares of hatred outside.'
As he was watching, a knock sounded at the door.
Naruto didn't get up immediately. Instead, he activated his Transparent World vision and looked outside.
Seeing that it was Hinata, Shikamaru, and the others, he finally rose to open the door.
The first to burst into the room was Ino, smiling brightly.
Her hair was clipped back with a blue barrette—she had clearly dressed up for the occasion.
"Hehe! Naruto, how can you spend your birthday alone at home watching movies? We're here to throw you a party!"
After Ino came Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Sasuke, Kiba, and even Sakura, who tagged along uninvited.
Each of them carried a plastic bag filled with snacks or drinks.
Hinata was holding a large cake.
The once-lonely room instantly became lively and crowded.
Naruto moved the table to the corner while his friends poured all the snacks into the center, forming a little mountain.
"Ta-dah!" Ino cheered as she opened the cake box.
It was a strawberry cream cake.
Choji instinctively reached out, wanting to scoop some cream with his finger.
Ino smacked his hand away."Choji, you glutton! Naruto hasn't even made his wish yet."
Choji wasn't angry. Instead, he scratched his head sheepishly, looking guilty."Right… Naruto, you should make a wish first."
Sasuke clicked his tongue."Tch, childish games."
The candles were placed and lit. Naruto made a symbolic wish.
For wishes, he preferred relying on himself to achieve them.
But just then—
A sharp crash of shattering glass broke the cheerful mood!
A rock the size of an egg smashed through the window, scattering shards across the floor.
"Stand against the wall," Naruto said calmly, immediately pulling Hinata and Ino to safety at his side.
His practiced movements made the others' hearts ache.
Before anyone could react, more stones, rotten tomatoes, and eggs came flying through the window, splattering across the floor.
The untouched cake was smashed into a ruin.
Amid the trash came hateful shouts:
"Demon fox, you deserve to die!""Filthy beast, you have no right to live in this world!""Why do you get to live, while my beloved son was crushed to death by rubble?!"
Inside, everyone pressed against the wall, pale and trembling as the malice flooded in.
Most of them—Ino, Hinata, Choji, Shikamaru—were clan children, pampered and protected. None had ever faced such a scene.
Only Naruto, the target of it all, remained expressionless, as if it had nothing to do with him.
After several minutes, the barrage finally stopped.
"Naruto… do you go through this every day?" Ino whispered, still shaken.
Naruto shrugged."Usually it's not this bad. Only a handful of people act out. But today's special. Honestly, you guys shouldn't have come."
Having just experienced it themselves, the others were left shaken.
Naruto's calmness now seemed even more unfathomable.
Hinata bit her lip, staring at the ruined cake that symbolized their attempt at happiness.
Naruto hadn't even tasted it.
She imagined what it must have been like, for him to endure this since childhood.
The thought alone was terrifying.
And yet he remained so strong.
Her admiration mixed with a deep ache in her chest.
Then, to Naruto's surprise, tears welled in Hinata's eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
'Is she crying because she's scared?' Naruto wondered at first.
But no—Hinata might look timid, but deep inside she was strong.
'Could it be… that she's crying for me?'
At that thought, his gaze softened.
But the next second, he turned toward the window again, his eyes cold.
For eight years, he had endured.
But now, with his growing strength, he finally had some power to protect himself.
White Fang was wronged and killed.The Legendary Sannin left the village in disappointment.The Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself.The Uchiha were massacred…
All the cards Konoha once held had been shattered by its so-called "F4."
And now, as long as Naruto showed the ability to control the Nine-Tails' power, Hiruzen Sarutobi—the coward—wouldn't dare risk everything in a fight against him.
If anything, he would try to protect him.
Which meant… it was time to change his approach.
Transparent World—activate!
Naruto's vision shifted, piercing through the walls.
He looked down at the ugly, snarling faces gathered below.