The group waved around the cash Sasuke had pulled out, eagerly shopping for supplies. After all, they were about to feast like there was no tomorrow!
Even the usually shy Hinata Hyuga was buzzing with excitement. She'd visited her classmates' homes before and had invited them to hers as well. Out of all of them, she loved going to Itou Hirofumi's place the most—Aunt Hanako's cooking was just too good, and Hinata could always eat her fill!
For some reason, she could never get enough food at home. Her appetite was just too big...
And now, with Sasuke footing the bill for all this shopping, Hinata was certain she'd eat to her heart's content today! Plus, she didn't even need to tell her dad about it. Over the years, her classmates had gotten used to visiting each other's houses, and her father was fine with it by now.
The other students were in a similar boat. They were about to graduate from the Ninja Academy and become real ninjas, so their families didn't restrict their freedom too much.
But while shopping, things took an unpleasant turn...
Naruto Uzumaki, clutching a 10,000-ryo note from Sasuke, dashed into a barbecue restaurant with uncontainable excitement. Barbecue! It was something he'd only dreamed of eating before! But today, with Sasuke's money, he was going to stuff his face with as much grilled meat as he could!
In the past, people refused to sell him food, probably because he never had enough cash. But now, with all this money, surely they'd serve him, right?
Wrong.
As soon as Naruto stepped into the restaurant, the mood shifted.
"Oh no! That damn fox kid is here!" one villager shouted.
"Look at those whiskers on his face! So gross!" another sneered.
"Stay away from him! He might turn into the fox and kill us all!"
"Ugh, he's ruining my appetite!"
"Hey, wait—is that a 10,000-ryo note in his hand?!"
"It sure is…"
"No way that fox kid has that kind of money! He must've stolen it!"
"Yeah, definitely stolen!"
"That little fox brat! Not only does he look weird, but now he's a thief too!"
"Get out of here, fox kid!"
"Scram, scram!"
"And hand over that money! You stole it, so we'll just hold onto it for you!"
The villagers surrounded Naruto, hurling insults while eyeing the money in his hand with greedy intent. It was just a fox kid, after all—whatever he had must've been stolen, so taking it from him wouldn't be a problem, right?
Naruto started to panic. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I'm not some fox kid! And this money isn't stolen! I didn't steal anything! I just wanted to buy some barbecue!"
The crowd burst into mocking laughter. A few villagers, clearly drunk, started shoving Naruto around.
"That's hilarious!" one slurred. "The fox kid thinks he has a name? Naruto Uzumaki? You're just a fox kid! A disgusting little fox kid everyone hates!"
"Yeah, and you're saying that money's not stolen? I bet you snatched it! Hand it over!"
The drunks weren't satisfied with just pushing him. They started punching and kicking Naruto, trying to pry the 10,000-ryo note from his hands. Naruto curled up in a corner, clutching the money tightly, refusing to let go.
The drunken villagers, noticing the crowd watching, grew even more smug, reveling in their twisted sense of superiority.
The group had split up to buy supplies, and Naruto had gone off alone—except for Hinata, who'd quietly followed him. When she heard the commotion from the barbecue shop, she rushed inside.
"Naruto! Are you okay?!" Hinata cried, shoving past two of the drunks beating Naruto and helping him to his feet.
Some of the sober villagers noticed Hinata's eyes. "Those eyes…"
"Yeah, they're definitely from the Hyuga clan!"
"Didn't expect a Hyuga to be hanging out with the fox kid…"
"They seem pretty close, don't they?"
The Hyuga clan's reputation in the Hidden Leaf was immense, so the sober villagers didn't dare act too bold. But the drunks? They were too far gone to care what those white eyes meant.
"Well, look at that!" one slurred. "We just beat up the fox kid, and now here's a white-eyed freak!"
"Hahaha! Isn't this rich? A fox kid and a white-eyed freak—perfect match, huh?"
"This white-eyed weirdo's helping the fox kid? She's gotta be just as bad as him!"
The sober villagers stayed quiet, knowing better than to mess with a Hyuga. Only the drunks were dumb enough to throw around terms like "white-eyed freak."
But the drunks, seeing the crowd's silence, mistook it for being intimidated by their "authority." They puffed up with even more arrogance.
"Hinata… get out of here…" Naruto rasped. "Go find Hirofumi and the others! You'll get hurt if you stay!"
Seeing Hinata's small figure standing protectively in front of him, arms spread wide, Naruto's heart raced. For some reason, his chest tightened. This shy, quirky girl—was she really willing to stand up for him like this?
"Hinata… go! Don't worry about me! Find Hirofumi and Sasuke!"
"No!" Hinata's voice was firm. "I'm not leaving! Even if it means getting hit, I'm staying with you!"
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