The blood-curdling scream that tore from Naruto's lips echoed down the quiet Konoha street. It was the kind of scream that should've stopped people in their tracks, demanded concern, triggered action.
And yet, no one moved.
People walking nearby paused only briefly, glancing toward the scene with faint interest—before turning away as though nothing had happened.
Their eyes were indifferent. Cold.
Not a single person stepped forward to help the injured boy.
They all knew exactly who he was.
To them, Naruto Uzumaki wasn't a child. He was a vessel. A monster. The reincarnation of the very thing that had once destroyed their homes, taken their loved ones—the Nine-Tails.
In their hearts, there was no pity. Only quiet, smug satisfaction.
"That demon fox deserves it."
That was the unspoken consensus.
Inside the ramen shop, Teuchi—the owner of Ichiraku Ramen—froze mid-motion, ladle still in hand. The scream had been unmistakable.
Naruto.
He rushed out of the shop, his daughter Ayame following close behind.
And what he saw stopped his heart.
Naruto was lying on the ground, his blonde hair matted with blood, a massive wound split across his forehead. His small body shook as he cried, clutching the side of his head.
Teuchi's face contorted in horror. Then, fury.
His eyes snapped to the other side of the street.
Three boys were frozen in place, one still holding a bloodied stone the size of a fist. Guilt flickered on their faces—but only barely. Mostly, they looked afraid of being caught.
Teuchi's voice roared across the street.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
The boys flinched.
"Are you out of your minds?! That could have killed him!"
He pointed an accusing finger at the bloodstained stone lying on the pavement. "You little monsters… I'm calling the Konoha Military Police. You're all going to jail for this!"
The older villagers might whisper and scorn, but what those kids had done wasn't bullying—it was assault with intent to harm. Naruto's wound wasn't superficial.
He was severely injured.
This was attempted murder.
And Teuchi wouldn't let it go.
The boys panicked. One burst into tears, and the others took off running down the street, vanishing around a corner.
Teuchi didn't chase them. Instead, he knelt beside Naruto and gently cradled the boy's face.
"Naruto… hang on, kid. We'll fix this."
He turned to his daughter.
"Ayame, go to the police station. Now."
"What about Naruto?"
"I'll carry him to the hospital myself. Go!"
She took off immediately.
Meanwhile, down the street, a familiar figure strolled toward Ichiraku, hands in his pockets and hunger on his mind.
Ryosuke Uchiha—Konoha's rising star and the secret benefactor behind Naruto's ramen—was in the mood for dinner.
But before he even reached the shop, he noticed a crowd forming ahead. Concern flickered across his face.
Crowds in Konoha usually meant one of two things: a street performance… or trouble.
He quickened his pace.
The moment he pushed through the gathering villagers and saw the scene, his heart sank.
Naruto, bloody and unconscious, lay in Teuchi's arms. The stone that had struck him sat nearby, crimson-streaked and jagged.
Ryosuke's blood ran cold.
"What the hell happened?" he demanded.
Teuchi looked up at him, instantly relieved.
"Ryosuke-kun… thank goodness you're here."
He knew Ryosuke wasn't just an Uchiha—he was someone who genuinely cared about Naruto. He'd been secretly covering Naruto's ramen bills for months. He never asked for recognition. He just did it.
Teuchi explained everything quickly, pointing toward the bloodied rock.
Ryosuke knelt beside the boy, rage building inside him. He reached out, gently brushing Naruto's hair aside to examine the wound.
Deep. Swollen. Possibly fractured.
If that rock had landed just an inch to the side, Naruto could've lost an eye. Or worse—suffered permanent brain damage.
The image made his fists clench.
This… this is what the child of the Fourth Hokage has to endure?
The son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki—two people who gave their lives to save this village—was now being attacked by the very people they died protecting.
These villagers… are nothing but snakes in the grass.
"I need to get him to the hospital," Teuchi said. "Please—help me get him there quickly. His wound could get infected."
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes.
"No," he said, voice sharp. "You stay here. Let me handle this."
He looked at one of the bystanders. "You. Go fetch a doctor from Konoha General."
The man blinked. "W-why me?"
Ryosuke's gaze hardened. "Because I'm giving you an order under the authority of the Uchiha Clan. And if a doctor isn't here in ten minutes, I'll personally see to it the entire hospital staff is detained for obstruction of medical aid. Understood?"
The man sprinted off.
Ryosuke turned back to Naruto.
He was still breathing—but barely conscious.
This shouldn't have happened, he thought.
Not with the ANBU watching him.
Then a realization struck him.
Where the hell was Kakashi?
As far as Ryosuke knew, Hatake Kakashi had been assigned to monitor Naruto discreetly. How had this attack even happened?
Fury burned in his chest.
He raised his voice and shouted up at the rooftops.
"Where is Naruto's protection detail?!"
A pause. Then, a masked ANBU operative emerged from the shadows and landed nearby.
Ryosuke's gaze instantly turned ice-cold.
Not Kakashi.
He stepped forward, jaw tight. "So you're the one assigned to him today?"
The ANBU agent nodded slowly.
Ryosuke didn't wait for more excuses.
SLAP.
The sound cracked like thunder.
The ANBU hit the ground hard, skidding across the pavement and groaning. He wasn't dead—Ryosuke had held back—but the blow had knocked the wind out of him. And possibly a few teeth loose.
Ryosuke stood over him.
"You think your job is just to keep him from being kidnapped by outsiders?" he snarled. "You watched him get stoned unconscious and did nothing."
The ANBU struggled to sit up. "My… orders were just to prevent abduction by enemy shinobi…"
Ryosuke's teeth clenched.
"So village-sanctioned abuse is fine? That was your directive?"
The ANBU remained silent.
"Tell the Hokage this," Ryosuke growled. "If he won't protect Minato's son, then the Uchiha Clan will."
He turned to the villagers still standing nearby.
"Let today be a lesson," he said, voice cutting like steel. "The next person who lifts a hand—or a stone—against Naruto Uzumaki… will answer to me."
As the crowd dispersed under the weight of his words, Ryosuke knelt once more beside Naruto, who stirred slightly in his arms.
He spoke softly.
"You've suffered enough, Naruto."
"But not anymore."
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