Chapter 11: Uzumaki Naruto's Killing IntentThe sun had set.The Uchiha Clan Compound sank into a grey-blue shadow in the twilight, the outlines of the houses blurring from clarity until only silent black silhouettes remained. The streetlights did not turn on—no one went to open them, or rather, they were no longer needed. Naruto sat in a tree, having waited for an entire afternoon. His body was motionless, the Breath Concealment Art tucking away all his presence until even his breathing became faint. From a distance, he blended into the branches and leaves of the canopy, looking like nothing more than a strangely shaped cluster of leaves growing on the tree.His eyes remained fixed on the entrance to the Uchiha Clan Compound.The sky turned completely dark.Then, he saw someone.Dressed in black with a black mask, a hole was exposed at the position of the right eye, revealing a crimson eye—the Sharingan. Three tomoe spun slowly, carrying an unsettling feeling like blood flowing through a pupil. His walking posture was casual, as if taking a stroll, but the aura radiating from him made the surrounding air feel heavy—a cold aura that didn't belong to the living, as if he had crawled out of a grave. This person wasn't here for a stroll; he was here to kill.There was no time to think whether it was Itachi or Obito.Naruto's body moved.He jumped down from the tree, landing soundlessly. He tightened the Breath Concealment Art even further, and even the rustle of his footsteps on the grass was wrapped in that thin veil. He moved swiftly through the small grove, moving noiselessly in the darkness like a cat that had been lurking for a long time, finally baring its claws.He blocked the path of the man in black.The Masked Man stopped in his tracks.There was about five meters between the two of them. Moonlight peeked out from behind the clouds, shining on the mask, which looked like a face without features under the light. Behind the mask, that Sharingan narrowed slightly."And you are?" the Masked Man spoke, his voice low and flat, like an adult who had been blocked by a child on the road, neither angry nor curious, but simply... surprised.Naruto stood in the moonlight, his back straight. He was currently in the state of the Transformation Technique—appearing as a young man in his twenties, tall and sturdy with a resolute face, wearing a long grey robe, bearing some resemblance to a man named 'Qiao Feng' from the transmigrator's memories. His voice had also changed, becoming deep and thick, carrying an unquestionable power."My name is Qiao Feng," he said, looking directly into the Sharingan. "Who are you? Retreat quickly."The Masked Man was silent for two seconds. That Sharingan stared at Naruto for a long time, the three tomoe spinning one circle, then another. He was evaluating, judging, and trying to see through the background of the person before him."I am Madara," the Masked Man said, his tone still flat. "You should retreat quickly. Don't disturb me while I'm working."Naruto's expression changed.Those eyes—on that face of 'Qiao Feng,' those eyes were originally dark brown, but the moment the Masked Man said the name 'Madara,' a fire ignited within them. It wasn't anger or hatred, but a cold, heavy killing intent.He knew the person before him wasn't the real Madara; the real Madara had died long ago. The person before him was Uchiha Obito—the man who killed his parents.How many people was he going to kill tonight? The elderly, women, children. The entire Uchiha Clan, leaving no one alive except for Sasuke and Itachi.Killing intent exploded in Naruto's chest.He didn't say another word. His left foot stepped forward, and the ground cracked beneath his feet. The inner core in his Dantian jolted violently, nine patterns lighting up simultaneously as golden light burst from his Dantian. It passed through his body and the shell of the Transformation Technique, forming a faint halo on his surface. Natural Energysurged from the inner core like a flood breaking a dam, pouring into his right palm.Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms—Hungry Dragon Has Regrets.A golden dragon rushed out from his palm.It wasn't a metaphor or an exaggeration. It was a dragon. A golden dragon condensed from pure Natural Energy, with horns and whiskers, scales and claws, about ten meters long. It opened its great mouth and, with a deafening dragon roar, blasted toward the Masked Man.The dragon's roar echoed through the entire Uchiha Clan Compound, causing leaves to fall rustling and gravel on the ground to be swept up by the air currents, flying in all directions. The golden light illuminated half the sky, dyeing the surrounding woods in a golden hue.The Masked Man's pupils shrank.He didn't take it head-on. The moment the golden dragon was about to collide with him, his body suddenly became illusory—like a cloud of smoke dispersed by the wind. The golden dragon's head passed through the middle of his body without the feeling of hitting anything solid, as if striking a mass of air.The golden dragon passed through his body and slammed into a large tree behind him. The trunk exploded, wood chips flew, and the entire tree was snapped in half, collapsing with a crash.The Masked Man's body solidified again. He stood in place, having barely moved. That Sharinganstared at Naruto, the rotation speed of the three tomoe clearly accelerating."A penetrative ocular technique?" Naruto said in a low voice, his brow furrowing.The Masked Man did not answer. His chest was heaving slightly—not because of injury, but because of that moment of intangibility; he had almost failed to make it in time. The speed and power of that palm strike exceeded his expectations. If his reaction had been half a beat slower, or if the intangibility had started a fraction of a second later, that golden dragon would have slammed solidly into him.He looked down at his black clothes—the hem had been swept by the golden dragon's aftershock, charred black and still emitting thin smoke at the edges."Interesting," the Masked Man's voice came from behind the mask, still flat but with a hint of seriousness.Naruto did not answer. His right palm was still slightly hot, the lingering essence of the golden dragon remaining on his arm like a snake that hadn't swum far. He took a deep breath, the inner core in his Dantian vibrating again as Natural Energy poured back into his palms.He charged.Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms—Flying Dragon in the Sky.He leaped ten meters high, his body flipping in the air as he pushed both palms downward. Two golden dragons rushed out from his palms simultaneously, one left and one right, roaring as they crashed toward the Masked Man.The Masked Man's body became illusory again. The two golden dragons passed through his body and slammed into the ground, flipping soil and gravel into the air and creating two massive craters. But the moment his body solidified, Narutohad already landed, turned, and a third palm strike was already in front of him.Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms—Sudden Arrival.This palm was too fast. The golden dragon blasted out from an extremely close range, almost touching his chest. The Masked Man didn't have time to fully phase through—his body became translucent, but the shockwave of the golden dragon still swept across his left shoulder.His body flew out like a kite with a broken string, snapping two trees before finally smashing onto the ground, bouncing twice before coming to a stop.The dust cleared.The Masked Man climbed up from the ground, his left hand hanging at his side, seemingly unable to use it for the moment. His black clothes were torn over a large area, revealing a bruise on his left shoulder—but that was all. Phasing had negated the vast majority of the palm's power, leaving only enough impact to cause a bruise.He looked up, that Sharingan staring at Naruto. The three tomoe began to accelerate their rotation, spinning faster and faster until they merged into a blurred afterimage.Mangekyo Sharingan."Your palm technique..." the Masked Man's voice came from behind the mask, carrying an imperceptible trace of gravity, "I have never seen it. Who exactly are you?"Naruto ignored him. He felt it—people were approaching in the distance. Many people. The sound of footsteps, clothes breaking the wind, and the clashing of metal came from the direction of the Village, getting closer. People from Root. They were also rushing this way.And—miserable screams were coming from the Uchiha Clan Compound.Not just one, but many. They came from deep within the compound, dispersed by the wind and becoming intermittent. Men's roars, women's screams, children's crying, followed by a silence. That silence was more chilling than the screams—because silence meant it was over.Itachi had already started.The fire in Naruto's chest burned even brighter. He came here to save people, not to fight this masked lunatic.He turned around, taking a step toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.The Masked Man moved.He appeared in front of Naruto, his speed so fast it was almost invisible. His body remained solid, not phasing—his right arm was across his chest as he threw a punch toward Naruto's face. It wasn't phasing, but a solid attack.Naruto sidestepped to dodge and struck back with a palm. The Masked Man's body phased again, and the palm wind passed through his body, hitting nothing. The moment he solidified, he swept a leg at Naruto's lower body. Naruto jumped, turned in mid-air, and struck another palm. The Masked Manphased again.Phasing—solidifying—attacking—phasing.He was stalling for time.Naruto understood. This person didn't intend to fight him head-on—he couldn't take those golden dragons, so he chose another tactic: using phasing to wear him down. Dodge all fatal attacks, seize gaps to counterattack, and prevent him from escaping. As long as he stalled until Itachi finished killing everyone, his mission would be considered complete.Naruto's gaze became even colder.He took a deep breath, and the inner core in his Dantian began to spin frantically. Nine patterns lit up simultaneously as golden light surged from his Dantian toward his arms, palms, and fingers. Natural Energy surged within his body like giant dragons that had been imprisoned for a long time, finally being released.He would no longer hold back.This was the strongest form of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.He rushed at the Masked Man.The first palm. A golden dragon rushed from his palm, heading straight for the Masked Man's face. The Masked Man phased, and the golden dragon passed through.But Naruto didn't stop. The second palm followed immediately after the first, striking from another angle. The Masked Man's body was still in a state of phasing, and the second palm passed through again.The third palm. The fourth palm. The fifth palm. Every palm hit the phasing, and every palm missed. But Naruto didn't care—he was compressing the space. With every palm strike, he pushed forward, forcing the Masked Man to retreat repeatedly as the trajectories of the golden dragons wove a dense net in the air. Phasing wasn't infinite; he couldn't keep it up forever.The sixth palm to the tenth palm. The size of the golden dragons grew larger, and the dragon roars grew louder. Before the first dragon had dissipated, the second had already rushed out; before the second dragon had even hit, the third was already forming in his palm. Eighteen golden dragons flew in the air simultaneously, circling, intertwining, and colliding like a golden storm.AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-liteA flash of impatience crossed the Masked Man's eyes.His intangibility began to show delays—the gap between each solidification and phase became longer.The burden of the Mangekyo Sharingan was too great; using intangibility continuously for such a long time was starting to take a toll on his body.From the eleventh to the fifteenth palm.The Masked Man had already retreated fifty meters.His breathing became rapid, and the bruise on his left shoulder was throbbing with pain.He had dodged most of the attacks, but the aftermath of the golden dragon swept over him again and again, leaving more and more scorch marks on his black clothing.The sixteenth palm.The seventeenth palm.The Masked Man's intangibility finally showed a momentary flaw—he failed to phase again the instant he solidified because Naruto's palm technique was too fast, so fast that he didn't even have time to activate his ocular jutsu.The golden dragon's tail swept across his right leg.He let out a muffled grunt and staggered, a bloody gash opening up on his right calf.His intangibility had dodged the direct hit, but not completely—the golden dragon's tail grazed his calf like a red-hot knife slicing through butter, tearing the flesh open and causing blood to gush out.The eighteenth palm.Naruto pushed both palms out simultaneously, and all his Natural Energy poured out in that instant.The eighteen golden dragons merged into one in the air—not three zhang, but ten zhang.A ten-zhang-long golden dragon, with its mouth wide open and carrying a destructive aura, bombarded the Masked Man.This palm was not meant to force him back; it was meant to kill him.The moment the giant dragon's mouth closed, the Masked Man's body twisted—not the distortion of being hit, but the distortion of space itself.His body folded up like a crumpled piece of paper and then vanished from the spot.The giant dragon's teeth bit into empty air, golden light exploded, and a crater over ten meters in diameter appeared on the ground, with soil and debris sent flying dozens of meters into the air.The Masked Man appeared on a tree thirty meters away, half-crouched, one hand pressed against the trunk.The hem of his black clothing had been torn by the shockwave, and blood was streaming down his right calf.His breathing was heavy, his chest heaving violently, and that Sharingan stared at Naruto, a hint of wariness flashing in his pupil.He looked down at his right leg.The wound was not deep, but the bleeding wouldn't stop.If he hadn't used his intangibility at the last moment, if he hadn't escaped from the dragon's jaws in time—he would be dead by now.This person... is too dangerous.The Masked Man's fingers tightened slightly, digging into the tree trunk.His Mangekyo Sharingan stared at the "Qiao Feng" standing at the bottom of the crater, his mind calculating rapidly.He was no match in a direct confrontation.Intangibility could save his life, but his stamina was depleting rapidly, while that person's palm technique showed no signs of stopping.If this dragged on, he would be the one to lose.More footsteps came from the distance.Konoha Ninjas were arriving.The Masked Man was silent for two seconds, then made a decision.He stood up from the tree and took a deep look at Naruto—there was no anger or hatred in that Sharingan, only a cold, scrutinizing gaze.He had to bring back intelligence on this person.This face, this gray robe, this set of golden palm techniques.He would remember it all.His body began to twist, like water ripples being swallowed by a vortex, disappearing into the air inch by inch, from feet to head.He was gone.Naruto stood at the bottom of the crater, watching the spot where the Masked Man had vanished.His breathing was heavy, his chest heaving violently.The inner core in his Dantian was almost empty, the nine patterns dim and lusterless, with only a faint glimmer of gold still flickering at the very core.He did not pursue.He could not.That person had space-time ocular jutsu; even if he caught up, he couldn't keep him there.Moreover—there were more people approaching in the distance.Konoha Ninjas, Anbu, and perhaps even Sandaimehimself.Footsteps, the sound of clothes cutting through the wind, and barking dogs surged in from all directions, like a net that was closing in.He turned and ran toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.He ran past the empty streets, past the houses with extinguished lights, past one corpse after another lying by the roadside.Of the elderly, the women, the children.He dared not look, but he saw them.Those images carved themselves into his eyes like knives.He rushed into the depths of the clan compound.There was a group of people there.About twenty or so, old and young, huddled in the basement of a house.They were curled up together, trembling all over; some were crying silently, some were holding children and covering their eyes, some had their hands pressed together in prayer, whispering something.They were not dead yet—Uchiha Itachi had not found this place yet, or hadn't had the time to find it."Follow me!" Naruto stood at the entrance of the basement, his voice hoarse."Quick!"The crowd froze.They looked at this person covered in golden light, not knowing who he was or where he intended to take them.But outside, there were screams, firelight, and death spreading.They needed someone who could lead them away.An old man was the first to stand up."Let's go."Twenty-six people, old and young; the oldest looked to be over seventy, and the youngest was an infant in its mother's arms.Naruto led them through the back gate of the clan compound, through a bamboo forest, and across the shallows of the Naka River.He walked at the very front, using his body to break through branches blocking the way, using his hands to pull up the elderly who fell, and using his back to block stray arrows flying from afar.He heard the sounds coming from the clan compound behind him—more screams, more cries.He gritted his teeth and did not look back.He could not look back; this was all he could save.When they crossed the Naka River and ducked into the forest on the other side, Naruto stopped.He heard it—in the direction of the Uchiha Clan Compound, a large force was arriving.Footsteps, orders, the light of torches.The Konoha Ninjas had finally arrived.To collect the bodies.To clean up the aftermath.To cover all of this up as a story of "internal rebellion quelled."He could not go any further.If he went any further, he would be discovered, stopped, and asked, "Who are you?" "Why did you save the Uchiha people?" "What do you have to do with this incident?"He turned and looked at the twenty-six people.Old men, women, children, covered in mud, faces streaked with tears, trembling in the darkness."Follow the river downstream," he said in a low voice."There is a bridge at the end; cross the bridge and you will find the market outside the Village.Do not stop until dawn.""Who are you?" the old man asked, his voice trembling."Don't worry about who I am.Go."The old man looked at him, silent for a second, then bowed deeply.The others also bent down; some were bowing, some were kneeling, some were crying.The mother holding the infant knelt on the ground, her forehead striking the muddy earth with a dull thud.Naruto did not look at them.He turned and ran in another direction.He ran past those empty streets, past those bodies that no longer had breath.He dared not look, but he still saw it—a boy lying by the roadside, about four or five years old, face down, a ball he hadn't kicked still beside his hand.When Naruto ran past him, his steps faltered for a moment.Only for a moment.Then he continued to run.He ran out of the Uchiha Clan Compound, past the small woods, past the commercial district, past the residential area.As he ran, he dispelled the Transformation Technique; the golden light faded from the surface of his body, the young man called "Qiao Feng" vanished, and he turned back into the six-year-old boy wearing an orange T-shirt and gray shorts.When he ran to the bottom of the apartment building, he dispelled the Clone that had been attending class for him on the road.Poof.Memories flooded back—the Clone had attended class for him all afternoon, sitting in the last row by the window, not speaking, not causing trouble, and going home after class.Everything was normal.No one discovered that the "Naruto" was fake.Naruto pushed open the apartment door, walked in, closed it, and locked it.He leaned against the door panel and slowly slid down to the floor.His body was trembling.Not from cold, not from fear, but an uncontrollable tremor seeping out from his very bones.There was nothing on his hands—no blood, no mud, nothing.But he could feel that sensation—not the sensation of hitting someone, but when those golden dragon shadows rushed out of his body, he "felt" the killing intent radiating from the Masked Man, felt the destructive power contained within those golden rays.Did he kill anyone?No.The Masked Man had escaped.Those six Root members had not appeared yet—or rather, in this altered timeline, the Root members had not yet arrived when Naruto left.But he knew those people would come.They would come to collect the bodies, to clean up the aftermath, to cover everything up cleanly.And he... he had saved twenty-six people.Under the butcher's knife of Uchiha Itachi, amidst the encirclement of Root, he had saved twenty-six people.His breathing was rapid, his chest feeling as if it were being pressed by something, unable to catch his breath.The inner core in his Dantian was dim and lusterless, the nine patterns like nine dried-up riverbeds, without a single drop of energy left.He opened his eyes and looked at the blank wall opposite.His eyes were dry, without tears.Not because he was strong, but because tears had no meaning at this moment.He stood up, walked to the bed, and sat down.The system panel popped up in front of him—he didn't know when he had opened it, perhaps it was triggered automatically by his consciousness.[justice execution system][Detected that the host has performed a just act in this incident—protecting twenty-six survivors of the Uchiha Clan Compound from the catastrophe of genocide.Calculating rewards...][Received Points: 8000][Current Total Points: 8245]Eight thousand points.Naruto looked at that number and was silent for a long time.He closed the system panel.The room quieted down.The moon outside the window revealed half its face from behind the clouds, and moonlight shone in through the gap in the curtains, drawing an incomplete circle on the ceiling.In the distance, dogs were barking, and the wind blowing through the cracks in the window made a wailing sound.Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, head lowered, hands on his knees.His fingers were still trembling slightly, but much better than before.The inner core in his Dantian was slowly absorbing Natural Energy, and the nine patterns were lighting up again bit by bit, like nine snakes waking up.The inner core would recover, and his body would recover too.But those corpses lying on the streets of the Uchiha Clan Compound would not recover.He turned over and wrapped the blanket a little tighter.
Chapter 12: Being Followed by HinataWhen Uzumaki Naruto woke up, it was just beginning to get light.A sliver of gray-white light filtered through the gap in the curtains, landing on the floor like a thin, sleepy snake.He lay in bed, staring at the crack on the ceiling for a few seconds—the crack was still there, stretching from the light fixture to the corner, exactly the same as yesterday, exactly the same as the day before, and exactly the same as every day in the past.Then he felt it.That gaze had returned.The person watching him was back.Uzumaki Naruto closed his eyes, then opened them again.It had disappeared for a day yesterday, and returned today.He did not go to investigate why.It wasn't important.He just thought about it in his heart—was that person gone yesterday because they went to the Uchiha Clan Compound? Or was it for some other reason?Forget it, thinking about these things was useless.What he needed to do was the same as the past half month or so—pretend he didn't know anything and live normally.He sat up and stretched.The inner core in his Dantian had recovered overnight and was shining again.Although the nine patterns hadn't recovered to their full state from yesterday, they already had a luster, and a thin layer of Natural Energy had accumulated in the inner core again, like a shallow pool of water at the bottom of a cup.It was enough.He didn't need more.He didn't need to fight today.He walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet.Water flowed out with a splash, hitting the concrete floor and spraying tiny droplets.The sound of water echoed in the narrow bathroom.He stood under the water flow without taking off his clothes—he didn't need to actually take a bath, he just needed to let the person watching him know, so he formed hand seals with both hands."Shadow Clone Technique."Poof, poof, poof, poof, poof, poof, poof, poof—Eight muffled thuds, and eight Clones squeezed into the bathroom.Uzumaki Naruto's main body lowered his voice and gave a few instructions; the eight Clones nodded and climbed out of the back window one by one.The halo of the Transformation Technique flashed a few times outside the window, and then everything went quiet.He stood in the bathroom for a few minutes, letting the water continue to run, then turned off the faucet, dried his hair, changed his clothes, put on his backpack, and left.That gaze followed him.On the way from the apartment to the school, the gaze never broke off.He walked into the school, climbed the stairs, entered the classroom, and sat in the seat by the window in the last row.That gaze landed on the back of his head, cold.Uzumaki Naruto put his backpack on the desk, folded his hands on his arms, rested his chin on the back of his hands, and looked out the window.The leaves outside the window had turned from tender green to dark green, and the sunlight shining on them emitted an oily luster.He closed his eyes, feeling the rotation of the inner core in his Dantian—the nine patterns were slowly rotating, and a warm current was flowing through his body.Then he felt another gaze.It was warm, timid, and cautious, like a kitten secretly approaching.The gaze moved from the back of his head to his shoulders, from his shoulders to his back, and finally stopped at his... Dantian position.Hinata.Uzumaki Naruto didn't turn back.He knew Hinata was looking at him—it hadn't started just today; it was like this every day, stealing glances at him from time to time.However, what Uzumaki Naruto didn't know was that she was worried about him.Uzumaki Naruto opened his eyes slightly and looked at the sky outside the window.The clouds were very white, the sky was very blue, and the wind was very light.Everything was fine.The morning classes passed uneventfully.The Ninjutsu theory class was about methods of refining Chakra, and Uzumaki Naruto started to lose focus after listening for a while.He drew a little person in his notebook, then doodled randomly, adding all sorts of things.At noon, he sat alone in a corner of the playground eating bread.The bread was bought yesterday and was a bit dry, but it could still be swallowed if chewed.While eating, he watched the children on the playground running around; some were playing hide-and-seek, some were throwing beanbags, and some were squatting by the flower bed catching ants.No one came to find him, and he didn't go to find anyone.That cold gaze was always there.Uzumaki Naruto didn't really listen to the afternoon classes; he leaned against the window.When the bell rang for the end of school, Uzumaki Naruto packed his schoolbag and walked out the back door.The playground was full of children going home, walking in twos and threes, talking and laughing.Uzumaki Naruto walked alone at the very back, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun, dragging across the grass behind him.He walked out of the school gate, turned into the street he had walked countless times, and headed towards his apartment.After walking for about five minutes, he felt it—someone was following him.The distance was about twenty meters, and the footsteps were very light, but under the perception of his perfected Nine Yang Divine Skill, those footsteps were as obvious as someone tapping on a table in a quiet room.Uzumaki Naruto didn't turn back.He continued to walk forward, his pace unchanged, his speed unchanged, just as if he hadn't discovered anything.He walked past the convenience store, past the grocery store, and past that cherry blossom tree—the cherry blossoms had long since fallen, and now it was covered in lush green leaves.There was a corner on the street ahead, with a narrow alley next to it.Uzumaki Naruto turned into that alley, walked a few steps, then stopped, turned around, leaned his back against the wall, put his hands in his pockets, and waited.The footsteps got closer and closer.That person turned into the alley—A face peeked out from behind the corner.Dark blue hair, white eyes, light purple jacket.There was a little sweat on the tip of her nose, and her cheeks were slightly flushed from walking too fast.She was clutching the straps of her schoolbag in her hands, clutching them very tightly.Hinata.Uzumaki Naruto was stunned for a moment.He had imagined many possibilities—was it Anbu? Was it Iruka? Was it some curious classmate?But he hadn't thought it would be Hinata.This girl who had the softest voice in class, this girl who would blush every time he saw her, this girl who always sat in the front row of the classroom, separated from him by the entire room—she was following him.The moment Hinata saw him, she froze.Her eyes were wide open, her mouth slightly agape, like a thief caught on the spot, and her complexion changed from slightly flushed to beet red, as red as a boiled shrimp.Her hands began to tremble—it wasn't the schoolbag shaking, it was her hands shaking, shaking so much that the bag straps were swaying."N-N-Naruto-kun..."Her voice was as small as a mosquito's hum; if Uzumaki Naruto's perception hadn't been sharp enough, he wouldn't have been able to hear what she was saying at all.Uzumaki Naruto looked at her without making a sound.He was waiting for her to finish.Hinata lowered her head, staring at her own toes, her lips moving, then moving again, as if something was stuck in her throat, unable to be spit out or swallowed.The roots of her ears were bright red, and even her neck had turned red.She took a deep breath—the breath was drawn in very deeply, as if she wanted to suck all her courage into her lungs—then she suddenly raised her head and looked at Uzumaki Naruto."I, I want to treat Naruto-kun to, to a meal!"She said it all in one breath, then immediately lowered her head again, her voice getting smaller and smaller, "B-Because before... before Naruto-kun helped me... I have always, always wanted to thank Naruto-kun... so..."By the end, the words had turned into a muddled murmur, as if she had a candy in her mouth, with all the words sticking together.Uzumaki Naruto leaned against the wall, looking at the girl in front of him who was lowering her head, blushing, and trembling all over.He remembered that snowy night—she was squatting in an alley, hugging her head, her shoulders trembling.Now she was still the same, trembling whenever she got nervous.But today she stood in front of him and finished the sentence."So you want to treat me to a meal?"Uzumaki Naruto's voice was very calm.Hinata nodded, not daring to look at him."Just the two of us?"Hinata nodded again, then shook her head, then nodded again.She no longer knew what she was doing.Uzumaki Naruto looked at her, the corners of his mouth slightly curling up.He found it a bit funny—not mocking, but a kind of amusement where he thought, "This girl is really interesting."But he didn't laugh, because he knew that if he laughed, Hinata might faint on the spot."Sure."He said.Hinata suddenly raised her head, her eyes brightening for a moment, then quickly lowered them again."T-Then tomorrow... tomorrow at noon... the ramen shop next to the school...""Okay."There was silence for a few seconds.Hinata stood in place, not leaving, and not speaking.She stood there, her fingers twisting the straps of her schoolbag, her lips moving, as if she were hesitating about something.Her face was still very red, she was biting her lower lip, and her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she were making a very difficult decision.Then she took a step forward.It wasn't the kind of walk that was open and generous, but the kind that was cautious, as if walking a tightrope.Her footsteps were very light, so light they could barely be heard, but she did indeed take a step forward.The distance between the two of them changed from three meters to two meters.She took another step forward.One point five meters.Then she stood on tiptoe, leaned her body slightly forward, and brought her face close to Uzumaki Naruto's ear.Her breath was hot, blowing onto his ear, carrying a hint of sweetness—probably the lingering scent of some snack she had eaten today.Her hair brushed against his cheek, cool and smooth, like a wisp of silk blown by the wind.Then she said softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear—"Naruto-kun... are you okay?"Uzumaki Naruto's body stiffened slightly."Yesterday afternoon... I discovered that that person was not Naruto-kun."Hinata's voice was very small, small enough that she was almost speaking with her breath, but every word was very clear, "In his body... that energy couldn't flow. In Naruto-kun's body, that energy is always circulating, but that person didn't have it. So... so I knew that wasn't Naruto-kun."After she finished speaking, she stepped back, stood in front of Uzumaki Naruto, and looked up at him.Her eyes—those white eyes without pupils—were full of worry.It wasn't the kind of perfunctory, polite worry, but a genuine, heartfelt worry that welled up from the bottom of her heart.Her eyes were a little red, the kind of red that comes from holding back tears all day without crying."Naruto-kun... have you gone to do something dangerous?"She asked, her voice trembling.Uzumaki Naruto looked at her.He had been discovered.His Breath Concealment Art was perfected; even Sandaime had personally checked and found no abnormalities.But Hinata had discovered it.It wasn't by sensing aura, not by Chakra detection, but by... the rotation of the inner core in his Dantian.He knew that she had always been paying attention to him, but she had actually memorized the way that energy flowed in his body.So when the Clone was sitting in the classroom, she saw it at a glance.Uzumaki Naruto was silent for a few seconds.He looked into Hinata's eyes; those white eyes contained no questioning, no blame, only worry.Pure, unadulterated worry.He smiled.A very small smile, the corners of his mouth only slightly curling up, but something in those blue eyes softened."I'm fine."He said.Hinata's lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't.Her eyes were even redder, but she didn't cry.She just nodded, nodded vigorously, as if saying "That's good."Uzumaki Naruto looked at her and suddenly had a bit of a mischievous thought.He tilted his head, the curve of his mouth widened a little, and his voice carried a hint of teasing amusement."Hinata-san is so concerned about me—"Hinata was stunned for a moment."Could it be that you've fallen in love with me?"The moment these words were spoken, Hinata's face turned from pink to deep red, her mouth opening and closing, closing and opening, like a fish pulled onto the shore.Her hands waved wildly in the air, not knowing where to put them, and finally covered her face.Her ears were bright red, burning hot, so red that Uzumaki Naruto could feel the heat even standing one point five meters away."Mm... mm-mm-mm..."She let out a series of completely meaningless sounds.Uzumaki Naruto looked at her like this and couldn't help but laugh out loud.It wasn't the kind of smile where the corners of the mouth slightly curl, but a real laugh—his shoulders shaking, his eyes curved into crescent shapes, and the laughter echoed in the alley.Hearing him laugh, Hinata buried her face even deeper, and the skin peeking through her fingers was as red as autumn maple leaves."Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore."Uzumaki Naruto put away his smile, his voice returning to calm, "I'm fine. Really."He looked at her, thought for a moment, and then lowered his voice and said."If there's a chance in the future, I'll teach you something very powerful."Hinata peeked out one eye from between her fingers and looked at him.That white eye was full of surprise and confusion, and a little bit of... expectation?"What... what thing?""A secret."Uzumaki Naruto pulled his hand out of his pocket and waved at her, "See you tomorrow."He turned around and walked out of the alley.The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his golden hair, plating it with an orange-red edge in the light.His retreating figure became smaller and smaller at the end of the street, smaller and smaller, and finally disappeared around the corner.Hinata stood in the alley, maintaining the pose of covering her face, for a long, long time.Her heart was beating very fast, so fast it felt like a little rabbit was jumping around in her chest.Her face was still burning, burning so much that she felt her head might be steaming.Naruto-kun said... he would teach her something very powerful.And... the love thing...Her face turned red again.She lowered her hands, lowered her head, and looked at the ground in front of her toes that had been turned orange by the setting sun.The corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously, very, very slightly, so slightly that even she herself didn't notice.Then she turned around and walked towards her home.After walking a few steps, she stopped again and looked back at the empty alley.The light of the setting sun moved slowly on the wall, as if someone had just walked past here, leaving a warm trace.She turned back, quickened her pace, and disappeared at the end of the street.When Uzumaki Naruto returned home, it was already dark.He closed the door, locked it, and put his schoolbag on the table.That cold gaze was still there—from the moment he left in the morning until now, it had never broken off.He was used to it.He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took out two eggs and half a carton of milk.The milk wasn't very fresh anymore, but it was still drinkable.He cracked the eggs into a bowl, whisked them, and poured them into the pan to fry a sunny-side-up egg.The yolk was runny, and when poked with chopsticks, it flowed out, golden yellow.He sat by the window, finished it bite by bite, washed the bowl, wiped his mouth, walked back to the bed, and lay down.The moon outside the window was a little rounder, and the moonlight shone through the gap in the curtains, drawing a circle on the ceiling that was getting closer and closer to being complete.That cold gaze passed through the window, through the curtains, and landed on his face.Uzumaki Naruto closed his eyes, turned over, and faced the wall.He was thinking about what Hinata had said."Naruto-kun... are you okay?"He was fine.He was very good.Uzumaki Naruto wrapped the blanket a little tighter, closed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously; the feeling of someone caring about him was quite nice.He turned over, buried his face in the pillow, and slowly fell asleep.
Chapter 13: Changing SeatsThe next day, Naruto woke up as usual. His Clones were dispatched as usual, and his main body went to school as usual.But today was a little different.Entering the classroom, Naruto's gaze swept across the back row—his seat was in the corner by the window, while Hinata's was in the third row by the wall, separated by four or five students. He glanced in that direction and then walked up to a boy sitting next to Hinata."Hey, let's swap seats for this lesson." Naruto's tone was casual, as if he were talking about something perfectly normal.The boy looked up at him, somewhat surprised. Uzumaki Naruto was taking the initiative to swap seats with him? This had never happened before. However, the boy didn't think much of it; he nodded, packed his things, and went to sit in the back row.Naruto sat down next to Hinata.Hinata froze the moment he sat down. She was flipping through a notebook, her fingers pinching a page, her whole body motionless as if someone had pressed a pause button. After about three seconds, she slowly turned her head and saw the blonde boy sitting beside her."Na... Naruto-kun?" Her voice sounded like a kitten that had its tail stepped on. "W-Why are you sitting here?""Swapped seats." Naruto placed his bag on the desk and pulled out a piece of paper. The paper had been folded several times, was wrinkled, and had curled corners. He unfolded it and spread it out on the desk.Some things were drawn on the paper—crooked lines, messy arrows, and some scribbles that were hard to tell if they were words or drawings. If one didn't know it was a martial arts manual, they would probably mistake it for a six-year-old's art homework.But Hinata didn't think so.She lowered her head and looked at the paper. The pupils of her Byakugan constricted slightly—she was using her Byakugan to observe the contents of the paper. She wasn't looking at the lines, but at something... infused within them when Narutodrew them.Naruto noticed her Byakugan glowing slightly and was secretly surprised.He had only casually drawn a few starting stancesof the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms—not the complete Moves, just some routes for circulating force and directions of power. These lines themselves had no meaning; if one didn't understand the underlying principles, it was just a piece of scrap paper.But Hinata's eyes lit up."Is this..." Her voice was very soft, carrying an uncertain hesitation, "a palm technique?"Naruto was stunned.He stared at Hinata for a full five seconds, making her face turn red again as she lowered her head, not daring to look at him."Holy crap—" Naruto blurted out, his voice a bit loud, causing several students in the front row to look back at them. He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Hinata. "You saw it at a glance?"Hinata nodded, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's buzz: "I... I saw it with my Byakugan... inside these lines... there are traces of Chakra flow... No, it's not Chakra... it's... it's that thing that flows... inside Naruto-kun..."Her fingers traced lightly over the paper, from the opening stance to the point of impact, from the circulation route to the closing stance—although she didn't understand the specific Moves of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, she could see that what was drawn on this paper was a "complete and coherent" thing, not scattered scribbles."Here... is where the power begins..." Her fingertip pointed to the Dantian position on the paper. "Then it starts from here... follows this line to here... and then strikes out from here..."She looked up at Naruto, her eyes holding a timid but exceptionally serious light."It's a palm technique... right?"Naruto leaned back against his chair, looking at the shy young girl before him, an indescribable emotion churning in his heart.To an ordinary Ninja, the things he drew would probably just look like a mess of lines. But Hinata, using her Byakugan, saw the "flowing thing" within the lines—that was a bit of Natural Energy he had unintentionally infused while drawing. That energy remained on the paper along the circulation routes of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms; ordinary people couldn't see it, but the Byakugan saw it clearly.And not only did she see it, she understood it.She saw the power starting from the Dantian, running through the Meridians, and finally being released from the palm—this was the most basic principle of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. She had never been in contact with this palm technique, and didn't even know what an "inner core" was, but after looking with her Byakugan for a few seconds, she saw the underlying logic of this technique."You're talented," Naruto remarked sincerely.Hinata's face turned even redder, and she shrank back like a turtle wanting to bury its head in its shell.Naruto didn't continue to praise her. He looked down at the wrinkled paper, then at Hinata, and a thought suddenly popped into his head."Do you have time after school?" he asked, his voice very low. "I can teach you something very powerful."Hinata's eyes lit up for a moment, but then quickly dimmed. She bit her lip and whispered, "I... I have to go home as soon as school is over... Father will have someone come to pick me up..."Naruto was taken aback, then remembered—Hyuga Hinata was the Young Miss of the Hyuga Clan's Main House. Her father, Hyuga Hiashi, was the Clan Chief of the Hyuga Clan and was very strict with her. She couldn't linger outside after school and had to return home on time. Those were the rules."I see..." Naruto thought for a moment, looked down at the paper, and then made a decision.He rummaged through his bag for a cleaner piece of paper—actually, it wasn't clean either; it was torn from the back of a notebook, and the corners still had oil stains from previous instant ramen. He picked up a pen and began to draw.This time, he drew very seriously.It wasn't the casual scribbles from before, but a stroke-by-stroke, serious depiction of the entire set of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.He drew for a long time. The classroom was noisy, with students chatting and playing, but he didn't hear them at all. Hinata sat beside him, quietly watching him draw, her gaze moving back and forth between his pen tip and his profile, her face flushed, her lips unconsciously pursed.When class ended, Naruto returned to his own seat to continue drawing, and finally, Uzumaki Naruto finished.The noon bell also rang.Naruto stood up and walked to the front of the classroom. Hinata was already waiting at the door, clutching her wallet, head lowered, tracing circles on the ground with her toe. Her face was still red, but it was better than in the morning—at least it wasn't the kind of red that looked like it was about to emit steam."Let's go," Naruto said."Mm," Hinata's voice was as small as a mosquito.The two walked out of the classroom one after the other, down the stairs, and out of the school gate. That cold gaze followed Naruto from the classroom to the school gate without interruption. Narutoknew that person was watching him, but he didn't care. He was just going to eat, not doing anything shameful.Ichiraku Ramen was next to the Ninja Academy, less than a five-minute walk away. Uncle Teuchi's stall was just as it always was—a wooden cart, red cloth curtains, a few high stools, and a soup pot bubbling with steam, the aroma wafting halfway down the street."Welcome—Oh, it's Naruto!" Uncle Teuchi smiled when he saw Naruto, then looked at Hinata behind him, his smile becoming a bit subtle. "For two?""Yeah." Naruto climbed onto a high stool, and Hinata sat down beside him, with one stool's distance between them."What'll you have?""Miso Chashu," Naruto said."Me... me too..." Hinata's voice probably couldn't be heard from Uncle Teuchi's angle, but Naruto heard it.Two bowls of Miso Chashu were served, the broth milky white, the chashu with a perfect balance of fat and lean, and the green onions vibrant. The bowl in front of Naruto and the one in front of Hinata were the same size. Naruto picked up his chopsticks, put his hands together, and began to eat. The noodles were chewy, the broth rich, and the chashu melted in his mouth—it was ten thousand times better than the dry bread and instant ramen he ate every day.By the time he finished one bowl, Hinata had already finished her first and was drinking the soup. Her eating manner was very refined; she didn't splash soup when picking up noodles with her chopsticks, and she didn't make noise while drinking soup, but she ate very quickly—not a wolfing-down kind of fast, but a rhythmic, steady fast. A mouthful of noodles, a sip of soup, a bite of chashu, repeating like a wound-up machine."Another bowl," Naruto said to the uncle."I... another bowl too," Hinata said, her voice a little louder than before.The second bowl was served. When Naruto was halfway through, Hinata had already finished her second bowl and was wiping her mouth. Her movements were still refined, but her eyes were already fixed on the soup pot. Naruto noticed her clutching her wallet tightly—she was calculating the bill."Another bowl," Naruto said."I, I also...""Give this girl another bowl too," Naruto said to the uncle.Hinata was taken aback and turned to look at Naruto. "Na... Naruto-kun, I-I'll pay—""I said you're treating me, but I didn't say I wouldn't treat you," Naruto said indistinctly as he stuffed a piece of chashu into his mouth. "Just eat."Hinata opened her mouth but didn't say anything. Her ears turned red again, glowing brightly.Third bowl. By the time Naruto finished his third bowl, his stomach was feeling a bit uncomfortably full. He put down his chopsticks and rubbed his belly—full. Three bowls was his limit.He turned his head to look at Hinata.Hinata was eating her fifth bowl.Her eating manner was still just as refined, her speed just as even, and there was no "I'm eating as hard as I can" expression on her face. She was just naturally and quietly eating bowl after bowl, as if it were something she did every day. The steam from the soup pot brushed against her face, a layer of fine sweat beads formed on the tip of her nose, and her cheeks were a faint pink from the steam and shyness.Looking at her, Naruto suddenly remembered a detail from the transmigrator's memories—Hyuga Hinata, the record holder of Ichiraku Ramen. Exactly how many bowls did she eat? There wasn't a clear number in that memory, but it was definitely much more than him."Uncle, another bowl," Naruto said"I... another bowl too," Hinata said, her voice a bit louder than before. She was no longer humming like a mosquito as she had in the morning—eating ramen had allowed her to find some kind of confidenceNaruto didn't say that this bowl was for her too; he would just push it in front of her later. There was no need to say something that would spoil the moodSixth bowl. Seventh bowl. Eighth bowl.AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-liteBy the time Hinata reached her eighth bowl, her pace finally slowed down. Her movements remained as refined as ever, but the speed of her chewing had decreased, and the frequency of her sipping the soup had dropped. She glanced at the remaining noodles in her bowl, then at the soup pot, as if making an important decision."Another bowl," Naruto said to Uncle Teuchi."I…" Hinata hesitated, "I…""Don't be polite, eat until you're full," Naruto said.When the ninth bowl was served, a subtle expression appeared on Hinata's face—not pain, nor difficulty, but an expression that said, "I know I can still eat, but I'm a little embarrassed." She picked up her chopsticks, took a mouthful of noodles, put them into her mouth, and chewed slowly.She finished the ninth bowl.Then she put down her chopsticks, pressed her hands together, and whispered, "I'm full." Her voice was very soft, but very satisfied, carrying the unique laziness and happiness that comes after a full meal. Her face glowed with a healthy flush, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and her lips were redder than usual from the hot soup. Her eyes were bright, like two water-washed white glass beads.Naruto counted—he had eaten three bowls, and Hinata had eaten nine.He took money out of his pocket and placed it on the table. Teuchi looked at the stack of bills, then at Naruto, and smiled. "That's too much.""Keep the extra, I'll eat here next time."Teuchi didn't say anything more, took the money, and wiped the table. Naruto hopped off the stool, and Hinata followed suit. The two stood in front of the ramen stall, sunlight shining on them; one with golden hair, one with blue hair, their shadows overlapping at their feet."Let's go, back to the Ninja Academy," Naruto said."Mm." Hinata's voice became small again, returning to that mosquito-humming state from the morning. But her expression was different from the morning—in the morning it was nervousness and shyness, now it was satisfaction and a little bit of… reluctance?Upon arriving at the classroom, Naruto took out the results of what he had been drawing all morning from his seat."Take it," he said, "look at it slowly when you get back. Remember—"He held up a finger to his lips, making a "shh" gesture."Once you've memorized it, burn it. This is our little secret, okay?""Little secret…" She repeated the three words, her voice as light as a feather landing on the surface of water."Right, little secret." Naruto nodded, his expression uncharacteristically serious, "Don't tell anyone. Including your father."Hinata looked up at him. Something was flickering in those eyes—not the glow of the Byakugan, but something else."Mm!" She nodded vigorously.Their interaction did not escape one person's eyes.From the moment Naruto changed seats, she had noticed. As the class's famous gossip girl, she had a natural, keen sense for "abnormal situations."Uzumaki Naruto had proactively changed seats to sit next to Hyuga Hinata. Uzumaki Naruto showed Hyuga Hinata a piece of paper. Uzumaki Narutoleaned close to Hyuga Hinata and said something. Hyuga Hinata's face turned red. Uzumaki Narutostarted drawing on a piece of paper. Hyuga Hinatawatched from the side. Now, Uzumaki Naruto had given Hinata something else.Ino's gaze swept back and forth between the two several times, like a high-speed radar. She first squinted to look, then tilted her head to look, then rested her face on her hand to look, and finally just turned her whole body around to look openly."Shikamaru." She lowered her voice and called out to Nara Shikamaru in the front row.Shikamaru was lying on the desk with an expression of "life is so troublesome." Hearing Inocall him, he lazily lifted his eyelids: "What?""Look over there." Ino pointed her chin in the direction of Naruto and Hinata.Shikamaru followed her gaze and saw the scene of Naruto stuffing a piece of paper into Hinata's hand and Hinata nodding with a flushed face. He watched for two seconds, then withdrew his gaze and buried his face back into his arms."What's so interesting about that?" He muttered."That's not right!" Ino's voice raised a bit, then she quickly lowered it, "Look carefully! What did Naruto give Hinata! Look at Hinata's expression! Don't you think there's something wrong?""What could be wrong…""Of course there's something wrong! When did Naruto get so close to Hinata? They haven't even spoken before, right? And look at Hinata—she's practically steaming!"Shikamaru sighed and lifted half his face from his arms: "Ino, aren't you meddling too much? Other people's…""What do you mean meddling too much! This is called caring for classmates!" Ino said righteously, then turned her head to look at Choji who was eating potato chips next to her, "Choji, don't you think so?"Choji had his mouth full of potato chips and said vaguely: "Hm? What?""Forget it, you don't understand." Ino waved her hand and turned her gaze back to Naruto and Hinata.Ino's soul of gossip was burning fiercely.She decided—she would observe these two carefully when school let out.When the bell rang for dismissal, Naruto packed his bag and stood up to leave as usual. He walked to Hinata's seat and paused.Hinata looked up at him."Once you've memorized it, burn it." Narutoexhorted her again, his voice low, audible only to the two of them, "Don't let anyone else see."Hinata nodded.Naruto also nodded and turned to walk out of the classroom.Hinata sat in her seat, clutching the notebook, not moving. She watched Naruto's back disappear at the classroom door, then lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curling up.Ino's gaze hadn't left. She saw Naruto leave, saw Hinata still sitting in her seat, waited a few seconds, then stood up and walked past Hinata's seat, pretending to be unconcerned."Hinata~" Ino's voice was sweet, carrying a deliberate gentleness, "School's out, aren't you leaving?"Hinata was startled, her whole body jolted, and she hugged the notebook tighter. "In-Ino! I-I'm leaving right now…"Ino's gaze landed on the notebook in Hinata's arms, then on Hinata's flushed face. She smiled and leaned in a little closer: "Hinata, what were you just saying to Naruto?""No-nothing!" Hinata's voice went sharp, then she immediately lowered it, "It was just… just ordinary… that…""Ordinary what?" Ino's eyes narrowed into slits, like a cat that had discovered the trail of its prey."Ordinary… homework…" Hinata's voice grew smaller and smaller, until the last two words were almost inaudible.Ino looked at her, the corners of her mouth curling up.Homework? Naruto explaining homework to Hinata? Did the sun rise from the west?She didn't continue to press—that would be too obvious. She just smiled, said "See you tomorrow," and turned to leave.But she didn't really leave.She walked to the classroom door and stood there, waiting for Shikamaru and Choji to come out. Shikamaru was packing his bag slowly, and Chojiwas still eating his last bag of potato chips. Inolooked back at the classroom—Hinata had already stood up, clutching the notebook, and walked quickly out of the classroom with her head down, as if she were afraid of being caught up to."Shikamaru." Ino's tone became serious."What is it now…""Did you see Hinata's expression just now? The way she was holding that—the two of them definitely have something going on."Shikamaru sighed, feeling that today was just too troublesome. "Ino, other people's privacy…""I'm not trying to pry into privacy!" Ino interrupted him, "I'm just curious—when did Naruto and Hinataget so close? They haven't even spoken before, right? And Naruto… you know, he was always pulling pranks, recently he suddenly became well-behaved, and now he's with Hinata… don't you think it's strange?"Shikamaru thought about it. To be honest, he did feel it was a bit strange. Everyone in the class had seen the changes in Naruto over the past year—he stopped being noisy, stopped pulling pranks, and started paying attention in class and taking notes. Some said he was scared straight, some said he had grown up, and some didn't care at all. Shikamaru belonged to the "didn't care" category—other people's business was too troublesome, and he couldn't be bothered to think about it.But now that Ino mentioned it, he also felt it was a bit interesting."Forget it." Shikamaru ultimately shook his head, "It has nothing to do with us. Let's go, time to go home."Ino glared at him, but didn't say anything more. She took one last look at the direction Hinata had disappeared in, then followed Shikamaru and Chojiout of the classroom."What do you think Naruto gave Hinata?" While walking on the road, Ino still couldn't help but ask."Don't know." Shikamaru said.Choji chimed in, "Seems like he drew something.""Drew what?""Couldn't see clearly." Choji shook his head, "But it seemed to be that kind of… training posture? A bit like the picture of what's-his-name posted on the wall of our barbecue restaurant?"Ino's footsteps paused.Training posture? Naruto drew a training diagram for Hinata?"Choji, are you sure?""Not sure." Choji shook his head again, "Just took a casual glance."Ino was silent for a few seconds, then quickened her pace to catch up with them."Forget it, not thinking about it anymore." She tossed her golden ponytail, and her face returned to that carefree smile, "Anyway, I'll know eventually."Shikamaru glanced at her, not saying anything. But he was thinking about one thing—Naruto, perhaps he was much more interesting than he had imagined.When Naruto returned to his apartment, it wasn't dark yet.He pushed the door open, put his bag on the table, then sat on the edge of the bed and began to receive the memories of his Clone. The four Clones practicing palm techniques had learned something new today—they were trying to compress the palm force of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms into a smaller range, achieving "palm force not extending three feet, power not dissipating an inch." This was specifically practiced for use in an urban environment; in case he ever needed to take action in a crowded place, he couldn't tear down all the surrounding houses.Outside the window, the moon hadn't risen yet, and the sky was a deep blue curtain, sparsely dotted with a few stars. The lights of Konoha Village flickered in the night, quiet and peaceful.Naruto closed his eyes.Tomorrow he had to go to class again. Clones still had to be sent out. Points still had to be earned.Life had to go on, one day at a time.
Chapter 14: Visiting SasukeThe early morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, painting a golden band of light across the bedsheets. Naruto opened his eyes, stared at the crack in the ceiling for a few seconds, and then sat up. That gaze was already there—falling on his face from the moment he woke up, cold and scrutinizing, like a thin needle pricking his skin. He was used to it.He walked into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and let the water splash down. Standing under the stream, he formed hand seals and created eight Clones. Four went to practice the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, while the other four went to carry out justice. As the Clones flipped out of the back window, Naruto noticed that the ones practicing the palm technique had moved to a new spot—yesterday they had found a more secluded training ground in a Wild Valley to the east of the Village, surrounded by steep stone walls that hid the valley floor from outside view. Naruto turned off the faucet, dried his hair, changed his clothes, slung on his backpack, and headed out.That gaze followed him, never breaking from the apartment all the way to the school.Walking into the classroom, Naruto headed toward his usual seat in the back row by the window. As he passed Hinata's seat, Hyuga Hinata looked up at him, her lips twitching slightly as if she were smiling or wanted to say something, but in the end, she just lowered her head and buried her face in her book. The tips of her ears were bright red.Naruto didn't stop and continued toward his seat. But he noticed—on the corner of Hinata's desk was a notebook; it wasn't the one issued by the school, but the one he had given her. A small sticker of a pink flower had been placed on the cover.He sat down, placed his backpack on the desk, folded his arms, rested his chin on the back of his hands, and looked out the window. The sunlight hit his blond hair, feeling warm and cozy. Inside his Dantian, the inner core was slowly rotating, its nine patterns flickering between bright and dim.The first class of the morning was Ninjutsu theory. The teacher stood at the podium lecturing on the nature transformation of Chakra. Naruto listened for a while, wrote a few words in his notebook, and then began to space out. He was thinking about his Clones' schedule for the day—the four Clones practicing the palm technique said yesterday they had found a more secluded spot, so today they should be able to refine the compressed palm force of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. The justice-executing Clones had recently discovered a pattern: there were more opportunities to help the elderly move things or carry water in the residential areas during the morning, while in the afternoon, there were more chances to find lost cats and dogs or give directions in the commercial district. The daily points income was steady at around twenty, not much but very consistent.Halfway through the second class, the back door of the classroom was pushed open.Sakura Haruno stood at the door, her pink hair looking particularly striking under the hallway lights. Her expression was serious, her brow slightly furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze swept across the classroom before she walked in quickly."Excuse me," she said to the teacher at the podium, her tone urgent but polite. "I'm looking for a few people."The teacher paused and nodded. Sakura was a top student in the class with good grades and popularity, so the teacher was always lenient with her. Sakura walked over to Ino's seat and tapped twice on the corner of the desk. Ino Yamanaka looked up, saw Sakura's expression, and stood up without asking anything. Then Sakura walked to Shikamaru's seat; Nara Shikamaru was napping on his desk, and Sakura slapped him directly on the back."What is it..." Shikamaru looked up groggily."Follow me," Sakura said.Shikamaru looked at her expression, sighed, and stood up. Then Sakura walked to Choji's seat; Akimichi Choji was eating potato chips, and seeing Sakura approach, he consciously put away the bag and stood up. Finally, Sakura walked up to Naruto.Naruto leaned back in his chair, looking at Sakura. He probably knew what was happening. The whole class knew. Sasuke hadn't come to class today. Ever since the day of the Uchiha Massacre, Sasuke hadn't returned to school. It had been nearly a week, and Iruka would certainly send someone to check on him."Naruto, you come too," Sakura said in a tone that brooked no refusal.Naruto looked at her. There were faint dark circles under her eyes; clearly, she hadn't slept well these past few days. Her lips were a bit dry, and her complexion wasn't great either. He was silent for two seconds before standing up. Sakura turned to walk out of the classroom, Ino followed behind her, Shikamaru and Choji followed Ino, and Narutowalked at the very back. As he passed Hinata's seat, he noticed that Hinata had also stood up."Hinata?" Sakura looked back, somewhat surprised."I... I'll go too..." Hinata's voice was very small but firm. "Sasuke-kun... is a classmate... I should go see him too..."Sakura glanced at her and nodded. The six of them walked out of the teaching building, crossed the playground, and left the school gates. Sakura led the way at a brisk pace, while the others followed. No one spoke.The Uchiha Clan Compound had already been cordoned off. The entire area was surrounded by wooden boards and ropes, with two Anbu standing at the entrance wearing masks, motionless like two stone statues. Sakura didn't head into the compound—she turned into a side street and stopped in front of a house. It was an ordinary two-story building on the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan Compound, not within the sealed area. Sasukelived here now, alone.Sakura knocked on the door. There was no response. She knocked again, but there was still no sound. She stood at the door, her hand hovering in mid-air, unsure whether to lower it or knock once more."Sasuke-kun..." her voice was a bit hoarse, "we've come to see you..."Silence.Ino stepped forward, patted Sakura's shoulder, and then shouted toward the door: "Sasuke! Open up! You have to eat something!" Still no sound. Shikamaru leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, looking up at the second-floor window. The curtains were drawn tight, making it impossible to see inside. Choji stood in the back, clutching his unfinished bag of chips without eating any.Naruto stood at the very back, looking at the tightly closed door. He knew Sasuke was inside. He could feel it—not through sensing with his inner core, but through a more direct, instinctive feeling. There was someone behind that door, a person who had locked himself in the darkness.He stepped forward, pushed past Sakura and Ino, and pounded on the door twice. The sound was loud, less like a knock and more like a strike."Sasuke, open the door." His voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible on the quiet street.Silence. Then the door opened.Sasuke stood at the door wearing a black high-collar shirt, his hair a bit messy, and deep dark circles under his eyes. He had lost a lot of weight—his cheeks were sunken, his cheekbones protruded, and his lips were dry and peeling. But his eyes were still bright, and there was something indescribable in his black pupils—not sadness, not anger, but something cold and hard, like stone.He looked at the people at the door. Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, and Naruto. His gaze swept over everyone's faces and finally stopped on Naruto."What are you here for?" Sasuke's voice was raspy, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.Naruto looked at him and was silent for a few seconds. "Sakura Haruno dragged me here."The corner of Sasuke's mouth moved slightly, not in a smile, but in an unidentifiable expression. He turned around and walked back into the house, leaving the door open. Sakura was the first to enter, Ino followed, then Shikamaru and Choji. Hinata hesitated at the door for a moment, looking back at Naruto. Only after Naruto nodded to her did she walk inside.Naruto was the last to enter. The house was very dark, with all the curtains drawn, leaving only the light coming in from the doorway. There were ninja tools scattered on the floor—Shuriken, Kunai, and Scrolls thrown everywhere. On the coffee table sat a bowl of cold porridge, completely untouched. The air had a heavy, unventilated smell.Sasuke sat on the sofa, hands propped on his knees, head lowered. Sakura stood beside him, her mouth opening and closing, not knowing what to say. Ino stood behind Sakura, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt. Shikamaru leaned against the wall, looking at the ceiling. Choji stood by the door, clutching his bag of chips so hard the packaging was wrinkled."Sasuke-kun..." Sakura finally spoke, her voice trembling, "Do... do you want something to eat? I'll make it for you...""No need," Sasuke's voice was stiff."Then..." Sakura bit her lip, "is there anything you want to eat? I'll go buy it...""No need."Silence. The room was so quiet that one could almost hear the dust settling. Naruto stood at the door, watching all of this. He knew that Sasukeperhaps didn't need any of this—didn't need comfort, didn't need sympathy, and didn't need people to visit him. What Sasuke needed was revenge, to be left alone, and to transform all his grief and anger into power.But he didn't leave. He stood at the door, hands in his pockets, waiting quietly.Shikamaru straightened up from the wall. "Sasuke, classes start tomorrow." His tone was flat, as if he were stating something very ordinary. "The teacher asked me to notify you."Sasuke didn't speak.Shikamaru waited for a few seconds and then nodded. "Then I'm going." He turned toward the door, pausing for a moment as he passed Naruto to give him a look before walking out. Choji followed, and as he left, he placed the unfinished bag of chips on the shoe cabinet by the door.Ino tugged on Sakura's sleeve. "Sakura, let's go." Sakura stood still, her eyes red and her lips trembling. Ino tugged her again, a bit harder this time. "Sakura, let's leave Sasuke alone."Sakura closed her eyes, and tears slid down from the corners. She wiped them with the back of her hand, sniffled, and then turned to walk out. Inofollowed, looking back at Sasuke as she left as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.Hinata stood in the middle of the room, looking at Sasuke. She gave a bow and whispered, "Sasuke-kun, please take care of yourself," before turning to walk out. As she passed Naruto, she paused and looked up at him. Her eyes were a bit red, but she wasn't crying. Naruto nodded to her, and she walked out.Now only Naruto and Sasuke remained.Naruto stood at the door while Sasuke sat on the sofa. Between them lay a coffee table and a bowl of cold porridge. They were silent for a long time."You're not leaving?" Sasuke was the first to speak."I am," Naruto said, "but I think there's something I should tell you."Sasuke looked up at him.Naruto was silent for a moment. "Your brother—" Sasuke's expression changed, his pupils contracting and his fingers tightening on his knees. "Maybe there are others left in your clan," Narutosaid.Sasuke stared at him for a long time. Something was churning in those black eyes—not anger, not hatred, but something more complex and deeper. After a long while, he lowered his head.Naruto didn't linger and turned to walk out. As he reached the door, Sasuke's voice came from behind him, raspy and low: "How do you know?"Naruto paused but didn't look back. "I guessed." Then he walked out and closed the door.As he walked out, he saw the others waiting for him across the street. Sakura was crying, and Inowas patting her back. Shikamaru was leaning against a utility pole looking at the sky, while Chojiwas squatting on the ground drawing circles with his finger. Hinata stood at the very edge, clutching her backpack straps and looking in his direction.Naruto walked over. "Let's go, back to school."Sakura wiped her tears and nodded. The group walked back the way they had come. No one spoke. When they reached the school gates, Sakura suddenly stopped and turned to look at Naruto."Naruto." Her voice was still a bit hoarse, but much steadier than before. "Thank you."Naruto was taken aback. "Thank me for what?""Thank you for coming," Sakura said. "I don't know why you came, but I feel... after Sasuke-kun saw you today, he seemed... a little better."Naruto looked at her and didn't speak. He didn't know what he had done; he had just stood there and said a few words. Perhaps what Sasukeneeded wasn't comfort, but someone who knew his pain but wouldn't touch it with sympathy. But he didn't say any of that and simply nodded.Naruto attended the afternoon classes as usual. He sat in the back row by the window, the leaves on the trees outside rustling in the wind. The sunlight hit the back of his hand, feeling warm. Inside his Dantian, the inner core was slowly rotating, its nine patterns flickering. Hinata stole several glances at him from the front row, each time turning away quickly with the tips of her ears turning red. Ino was also looking at him, not stealthily like Hinata, but openly, her gaze carrying a sense of scrutiny and curiosity. Naruto pretended not to notice.When the school bell rang, Naruto packed his bag and walked out the back door. As he crossed the playground, he saw Hinata. She was standing at the school gate, clutching the notebook with the pink flower sticker as if waiting for someone. Seeing Naruto approach, her face flushed, and she looked down, drawing circles on the ground with her toe."Na... Naruto-kun..." her voice was very soft, "Today... thank you.""Thank me for what?""Thank you for going to see Sasuke-kun..." She looked up at him, her white eyes reflecting the orange-red light of the sunset. "I think... what Naruto-kun did today... was very gentle."Naruto was stunned for a moment. Gentle? He had just stood there, said a few words, and left. He hadn't comforted Sasuke, hadn't brought him food, and hadn't helped him clean the house. He had only told Sasuke a small thing he might want to know and then left. But Hinata thought it was gentle."Let's go, time to go home," he said."Mm." Hinata nodded and walked beside him. The two walked side by side on the way home, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun, trailing two thin lines behind them. When they reached the entrance of an alley, Hinata stopped."Naruto-kun, I... I'll go this way..." Her home was in a different direction."Okay, see you tomorrow.""See you tomorrow..." Hinata clutched her notebook, walked a few steps, then stopped and looked back at him. The sunset glowed on her face, her eyes were bright, and the corners of her mouth were curved. Then she turned back and quickened her pace, disappearing at the end of the street.Naruto stood at the alley entrance, watching her figure disappear, then turned to walk toward his own home. That cold gaze was still there, falling on his back from some invisible corner. He walked home, pushed open the door, went inside, closed it, and locked it. The Clones had already been dismissed—today's point income was twenty-one points, and the Clones practicing the palm technique said the compressed palm force could now be achieved such that 'the palm force does not exceed three feet.'He sat by the window, watching the sky outside turn from orange-red to deep purple, and from deep purple to navy blue. Stars lit up one by one. That gaze was always there. He stood up, walked to the bed, lay down, and pulled the blanket up to his chest. Inside his Dantian, the inner core was slowly rotating, and a warm current of air flowed through his body. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.