After meeting Naruto, my life started following a more regular rhythm, though my face remained just as numb as ever.
Each morning, I would train in the forested hills behind the village. It's worth mentioning that I discovered something surprising—my healing ability from my previous life had somehow carried over. Thanks to that, I no longer feared the possibility of training injuries becoming permanent or leaving hidden damage. I could push my body far beyond normal limits. My physical training was as intense as what a special forces soldier would undergo. Day after day, I honed my strength and endurance, carving out the body of a ninja through pain and sweat.
Afternoons were much more relaxed. I wandered around the village with Naruto, getting into harmless trouble and occasionally bumping into kids who bullied others. When that happened, I never hesitated to step in. Naruto and I would usually end up in scuffles with them, often walking away with bruises, swollen faces, or even a split lip. But we didn't mind. After all, this was the world of shinobi. It didn't follow the laws of modern society, and violence was just another way of expressing your ideals here.
Sometimes, when we were too tired to make it back to our own beds, Naruto would crash at my place, or I at his. Neither of us had parents to object, after all. We were both orphans—alone in the world, but somehow less lonely together.
Over time, I managed to befriend a few other kids who would become familiar names in the future: Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji. It wasn't easy, but slowly, I was building a circle of people I could rely on.
Still, I couldn't help but feel a little down. I'd been roaming around Konoha for a long time without encountering even one of the main characters from the original story. But after I met Naruto, I suddenly came across three of them in a row. It was almost like fate had been waiting for that moment to flip the switch.
One sunny afternoon, I asked Naruto to join me for some ramen. As we were walking through the woods near the Ninja Academy, we came across a disturbing scene.
Three boys, around six or seven years old, had surrounded a small girl who looked no older than four or five. She wore a black kung fu outfit and kept her head bowed low, mumbling what sounded like apologies. Every time she tried to walk away, one of the boys would yank her back roughly. Eventually, they forced her to kneel on the ground.
My expression darkened.
"Stop it!" I shouted, stepping forward without hesitation.
"Yeah! How can you pick on someone weaker than you?" Naruto added, right behind me.
"Who are you?" one of the boys snapped—let's call him Dragon Set A.
"And what's with the hair?" added Dragon Set B.
"Wait a minute... that blond brat's the prankster the whole village hates!" sneered Dragon Set C.
"Oh, I've heard about him!" said Dragon Set A, chuckling.
"And look at the red-haired weirdo with him. Must be another troublemaker," added Dragon Set B.
Then all three of them burst out laughing.
"You jerks!" Naruto clenched his fists, about to lunge at them, but I held him back with a hand on his shoulder.
"I am Uzumaki Tom," I said, my tone calm but firm. "One day, I'll become a great ninja, someone who brings justice and protection to those who need it."
As I spoke, I glanced at the little girl. My heart skipped a beat.
It was Hinata.
Before she could even react, Naruto stepped up beside me.
"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm going to be Hokage one day!"
"Hahaha! Are these kids serious?" laughed Dragon Set C.
"Brag much?" snorted Dragon Set A.
"You two idiots couldn't become great ninjas even in your dreams," Dragon Set B added, then suddenly swung his fist at me.
It hit.
I staggered back slightly but steadied myself. I couldn't just beat these guys down—it would ruin the chance to earn favorability with Hinata.
Naruto raised his hands. "If it's a fight you want, bring it on! But don't go crying to your moms!"
He quickly formed a seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke appeared... and a single, shaky clone popped out, wobbling on its feet like a drunk duck.
"Hahaha! That's your jutsu?!" roared Dragon Set C. "What a joke!"
Their mockery echoed through the trees.
I clenched my fists. I wasn't going to take it anymore.
"You punks think you're strong? Let's see how tough you are!"
With that, the five of us brawled right there among the fallen leaves and dirt.
Eventually, just as the fight was tipping toward chaos, a man dressed in the garb of a Hyuga family attendant arrived. The moment the three bullies saw him, they froze in place. He wasn't even a high-ranking ninja, but the Hyuga crest on his robe was enough to send them running.
"Miss Hinata, are you alright?" he asked, checking her from head to toe.
Once satisfied she was unharmed, his eyes landed on Naruto—and then narrowed with cold disgust.
"This child… Miss Hinata, we must go."
"Hey! What's your problem?" Naruto shouted. "We just saved her!"
"You have no right to associate with Miss Hinata," the attendant said with disdain. "Don't think that saving her once makes you her friend. People like you are not worthy."
As he turned to lead Hinata away, I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Hinata, is that your name?"
She paused, surprised.
"My name is Uzumaki Tom," I said, looking her in the eyes. "One day, I'll become a ninja as strong as the Sage of Six Paths. I will protect you, Hinata. Please remember my name."
Her pale cheeks turned pink, and she nodded shyly. "O-Okay…"
That small voice was like a gust of wind under my feet.
But the attendant pulled her away. "Miss Hinata, let's go."
As they walked off, a tall boy with cold eyes turned back to glare at me.
"I am Hyuga Reiken," he said with clear hostility. "You, Uzumaki Tom, are an orphan. Someone like you is not qualified to be Miss Hinata's friend. She is the daughter of the Hyuga clan's leader. Only those of noble blood are worthy of her company. Do you understand?"
Then he disappeared into the trees, escorting Hinata home.
I stood there, watching them leave.
Beside me, Naruto rubbed his head, muttering, "What was that guy's problem?"
I didn't answer right away.
Instead, I whispered to myself, "Hyuga Reiken… you underestimate me now, but you'll see. My future isn't something you can measure. I will climb to the very top of this world."
From that day on, a small seed had been planted in my heart—one that carried the warmth of Hinata's smile and the cold sting of Reiken's words.
I would protect her. I would prove my worth.
No matter how high I had to climb, no matter what I had to face—
I would become a ninja worthy of standing by Hinata's side.