Kasi watched from the shadows, a warm smile on his face. Seeing his nephew genuinely happy… that was all that mattered.
Then he sensed trouble.
Below the apartment, a mob had gathered. Before he could react, someone threw an alcohol bottle. It shattered near Naruto and the other kids, startling them.
The mob shouted and pushed forward. Naruto and his friends stepped outside the building, unsure what to do. Kasi's muscles tensed. He had the urge to eliminate these mindless people for disturbing his nephew on his birthday—just when Naruto was finally enjoying himself, like he was supposed to.
But he held back.
Let's see how this goes first, he thought.
At first, the mob was stunned to see Naruto surrounded by the clan kids—Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. But their shock quickly turned back into anger.
"This monster is corrupting children!" one man yelled.
Shikamaru, calm as always, knew how badly the villagers had treated Naruto before—but even he was shocked by their words.
Then Hinata stepped forward.
The shy, gentle girl who rarely spoke up now showed unexpected courage.
"Stop saying mean things to Naruto-kun!" she said firmly. "If you don't know him, then don't say anything at all!"
One drunken man sneered. "The white-eyed monster is siding with that monster now?"
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed.
But Naruto—the boy who usually didn't defend himself or retaliate—suddenly moved in front of Hinata.
"You apologize to Hinata!" Naruto said firmly. "You bad man! Apologize!"
Then he turned to his friends quickly.
"Sorry you had to hear that because of me."
The crowd went silent for a moment, then erupted again—glaring, shouting, filled with disgust.
But this time, Naruto didn't look disturbed.
He stood tall, protecting Hinata—his friend—without fear.
From the shadows, Kasi felt a quiet sense of pride. His nephew was standing up for someone else.
Hiruzen watched the scene unfold through his crystal ball, muttering under his breath.
"Damn it… I have to go."
With that, he left for the location, already planning how to maintain his image in Naruto's eyes.
Below, the mob continued to shout.
"You're a monster!"
Before anyone could react, one of the drunken men raised his hand to strike Naruto.
That was the last straw.
Kasi appeared in a flash, standing between Naruto and the attacker. With a single, swift motion, he broke the man's arm.
The scream echoed through the street.
Kasi's chakra flared violently—lightning crackling outward like a storm.
The village fell silent.
The air itself seemed to hum with power. The sudden eruption of chakra alarmed everyone—the villagers, the guards, anyone nearby.
Across the village, the heads of the major clans felt it immediately and began moving toward the scene.
Nara Clan – Shikamaru's family
Akimichi Clan – Choji's family
Yamanaka Clan – Ino's family
Inuzuka Clan – Kiba's family
Aburame Clan – Shino's family
Hyūga Clan – Hinata's family
The village elders.
Danzo.
The mob froze, faces pale with fear. Only the drunken man who had attacked Naruto was wailing, his arm clearly broken.
The children were unharmed—only shaken by the sudden violence.
Kasi's eyes swept over the area.
Calm. Controlled. Lethal.
His presence alone radiated authority.
Within minutes, every clan head arrived at the scene