Konoha, Winter.
Snow began to fall over the Hidden Leaf Village, drifting down like willow fluff, blanketing the ground like a soft quilt.
Braving the heavy snow, Naruto pulled up his hood, held an umbrella, and stepped out of his house. Walking alone down the street, he glanced around, observing the passersby.
If any villagers noticed him, he'd once again be met with those cold expressions and the eyes that looked at him like he was a monster.
Naruto didn't really care what others thought of him, but being looked at like that still made him feel uncomfortable.
He arrived smoothly at a store on the main street. Folding his umbrella and shaking off the snow, he called inside,
"Boss, I'd like some rice, bread, and milk."
The store owner, a middle-aged man sitting by a stove with thermal gloves on, looked around and saw a small figure not even as tall as the counter. He smiled,
"Hey there, kid. What are you doing out shopping by yourself? Where are your parents?"
"They had something to do, so they sent me to buy food for the three of us. Enough to last a week."
As he spoke, Naruto placed the money on the counter, his eyes scanning the shelves full of goods.
The owner glanced at the mix of coins and bills and casually scooped them into the register.
Just as he turned to grab the requested items, Naruto's hood slipped off, revealing his bright blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and the whisker-like marks on his cheeks.
The village's demon fox?
The store owner recognized him immediately, and his expression turned grim.
Naruto, calm and unbothered, lifted his head to meet the store owner's eyes before pulling his hood back on—his gaze seeming to ask: What are you waiting for?
The owner hesitated, his words caught in his throat. With a cold look at Naruto, he turned and began to gather the supplies.
While he worked, Naruto stood with his hands in his pockets, staring idly at the shelves, thinking about what to eat that night.
Soon, a few villagers entered the store and noticed Naruto. They avoided him as they came in, whispering among themselves.
"That kid is the demon fox's reincarnation, right? I remember it was because of him that the Fourth Hokage died… and the village suffered huge losses…"
"But he's just a kid. The Fourth was a war hero. Could someone like him really have that kind of power?"
Someone raised a doubt, but another quickly countered,
"You don't get it. That's the terrifying thing about the Nine-Tails. Don't be fooled by his appearance—his body holds enough power to destroy everything. He could go berserk any time."
"Ugh… then why is a dangerous monster like that still allowed to live in the village?"
"The Third Hokage is too soft-hearted. He worries that if the kid leaves, he'll wreak havoc elsewhere. So, he keeps him here. But in the end, we're the ones who suffer for it."
"Now it makes sense. But how does a monster like that even have the face to keep living in this world? If I were him, I'd have taken my own life already."
The villagers stared coldly at the "demon fox" who once destroyed half the village, their eyes filled with disgust.
It had been three years since the Nine-Tails' attack devastated most of the village.
People still hadn't let go of the pain from back then—and instead, had directed all their hatred toward Naruto. Whether or not he, a child, had the power to cause such destruction was never a question they bothered to ask.
Maybe what they really needed was just an excuse—an outlet for their long-suppressed bitterness.
Despite the cruel and piercing words, Naruto's expression didn't change. He simply shot them a cold glare while they gossiped.
Startled by the fierce look in his eyes, one villager stumbled backward, putting distance between them and not daring to speak further.
Naruto found it all tiresome. With a cold snort, he walked over to the counter and glanced at the packed box.
"Boss, you're not trying to sell me expired or spoiled goods, are you?"
The owner froze, then swore, "Of course not! My shop never sells expired products."
"You'd better not. If I find out they're expired, I'll report you to the Hokage and the village guard."
With that, Naruto picked up the box—nearly as tall as he was—and left the store without looking back.
As he approached, villagers quickly moved aside like they were avoiding a plague. Only once he passed did they begin to mutter things like "bad luck" and "damned monster."
One villager who had been intimidated earlier stepped up to the store owner, demanding,
"Why did you sell that monster food? You're just giving him strength to keep threatening us! A creature like that should starve to death!"
The store owner replied, "He's still a life, after all. This is Konoha. Even stray cats and dogs aren't left to starve."
The villager sneered, "Is that really it? I saw that you shorted him on weight and nearly sold him expired goods. You're just greedy for the demon fox's money—you really are the village's most shameless merchant."
"Call it charity," the owner said, trying to defend himself.
Laughter broke out around them—everyone knew he was a notorious profiteer.
---
Back at home, Naruto dropped the box onto the floor with a thud, grabbed his homemade fishing gear, and turned to leave again.
He didn't even need to open the box to know it was filled with the store owner's carefully selected "almost expired" items.
They weren't spoiled, but they were definitely the least desirable of the batch—leftovers no one else wanted.
And even that much had depended on the owner's mood. Next time, if he annoyed the guy, he'd probably be turned away with the excuse of being "sold out." As a four-year-old kid, Naruto had no way of fighting back.
After all, he was the so-called "demon fox" that destroyed Konoha. Hated from the moment he was born.
No matter how unfairly he was treated, the villagers would always side against him.
He wondered what the Fourth Hokage and Kushina—his parents—would think if they could see this from the afterlife. Probably... proud. After all, this was the village they died to protect.
He reached the river. Though the current ran fast, it hadn't frozen yet. Naruto cast his fishing line into the water, watching the splash and waiting for a bite.
If he came up empty again, like the past few days, he'd have no meat to eat.
Whhhssh...
A gust of wind made him shrink into his coat. Rubbing his hands together for warmth, he sighed.
Yes, he was Naruto Uzumaki. But his soul belonged to someone else—someone from another world.
In his past life, he'd been a struggling worker who grew up in an orphanage. A lifelong Naruto fan, he'd basically grown up alongside Naruto and Sasuke.
He'd stayed up all night watching Boruto's finale, raging over how the "Top 10 Worst Characters" rankings had changed.
Then he woke up to the famous scene of Minato using the Reaper Death Seal—and just like that, he was an orphan again.
He didn't mind being an orphan. He'd grown up that way, after all. But starting life over as Naruto was more stressful than he imagined.
In just four years, he'd gone through a wet nurse refusing to feed him, price gouging at the market, and being bullied by gangs of brats.
These things—more than physical hardship—were truly unbearable.
Even with an adult's mind, he found it hard to withstand the malice around him. Only the Uzumaki clan's natural resilience kept him going.
He couldn't imagine how the original Naruto endured all this and still remained so cheerful. Could Asura's chakra really affect one's personality?
Either way, he couldn't fake a smile for people who hated him.
Even if they didn't know the full truth about the Nine-Tails, their hostility had already left scars.
As he brooded, he got a bite. Naruto pulled hard on the rod, landing a fish as long as his arm. After knocking it out with a stick, he dropped it in his basket.
"Looks like I'll be having fish soup tonight."
A small smile spread across his face. As he prepared to cast again, he realized it was getting dark. Reluctantly, he packed up and headed home.
Not because he was afraid of the dark—but because staying up late would stunt his growth. And he didn't want to end up short.
The night was the best disguise. Beneath the dim yellow lights, Naruto took off his hood and walked freely through the alleys, breathing in the fresh air without fear of being seen.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Someone stood in the middle of the intersection ahead, blocking his path.
It was a girl, about his age, with light-purple hair and pure white eyes—eyes that shimmered with unshed tears and made it hard to breathe.
Her small face was full of helplessness, like she'd lost her way at a crossroads in life.
Hinata? Naruto wasn't quite sure—but those eyes definitely belonged to the Hyuga clan.
He frowned, glancing down the dark street and into any corner someone might be hiding.
A Hyuga main-branch girl getting lost and running into the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki? The whole thing felt too much like a scripted setup.
After a moment's hesitation, Naruto turned to leave—but then heard a soft, desperate voice behind him:
"Can you help me? I… I can't find my way home."
Naruto stopped and extended his hand, flashing a fox-like grin.
"Of course I can."
Hinata slowly raised her hand, clearly hesitant, but Naruto gently grabbed it and started walking.
"What's your name? Are you related to the Hyuga clan? Your eyes look like theirs. I'll take you to the Hyuga compound."
He kept asking questions casually. Hinata only nodded, too shy to speak.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Hyuga compound's outer gate. The guards rushed over as soon as they saw Hinata.
It was a major village festival today. No one had even noticed the heiress had wandered off.
As the guards swarmed around them, Naruto instinctively tightened his grip on Hinata's hand, sweat forming in his palm.
Realizing this, he quickly let go and smiled at her,
"Looks like you're home. I'll be off, then."
Hinata looked like she wanted to say something, but Naruto didn't give her the chance. He turned and left, leaving only a lonely silhouette behind.
The guards looked puzzled, but getting the young lady home came first.
One of the senior jonin, however, furrowed his brow—he seemed to recognize Naruto.
A few hundred meters away, Naruto turned around at the sound behind him. The Hyuga compound was lit up with lanterns, full of joy and celebration.
His gaze lingered on the compound walls—three or four meters high, solid and imposing. On one side was warmth and festivity, on the other, cold and solitude.
The joy belonged to others. The loneliness belonged to him.
That was all he had.
Just then, a voice echoed in Naruto's mind:
> "Hinata Hyuga's favorability has reached 'Recognition'. You've received a pair of 'Winter Hand-Warming Gloves'. The girl you helped wishes for her friend's hands to never be cold again."
---
(End of Chapter)
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