Naruto Uzumaki froze, staring at the petite figure standing protectively in front of him.
"Hinata… you…"
The usually timid Hinata Hyuga spoke with unwavering determination. "Naruto… you might've forgotten, but that day, *you* protected me! So… today, I'm going to protect you!"
Naruto blinked, stunned, as a memory from years ago surfaced—a snowy night when a little girl was being bullied. He'd stepped in and ended up getting beaten up himself. That little girl… was Hinata!
The drunken thugs surrounding Naruto and Hinata burst into mocking laughter.
"Hahaha! Did you hear that? This Byakugan freak says she'll stand with the demon fox kid even if it means getting beat up!"
"What a joke! Byakugan freak and demon fox kid—what a perfect pair!"
"Since they're begging for a beating, let's give it to 'em! Just a couple of monsters!"
"Look at that—Byakugan girl's got a 10,000 ryō note! Must've stolen it. Guess we'll just have to hold onto it for her!" they jeered, shoving Hinata as she shielded Naruto.
Naruto sprang to his feet, furious. "You jerks! Stop it right now!"
Just then, three figures approached the barbecue restaurant.
One wore the traditional Hyuga clan attire, another sported a green jumpsuit and a bowl cut, and the third was a girl with her hair tied up in buns. It was Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten, fresh from a mission and planning to grab some barbecue.
Tenten peered curiously into the noisy restaurant. "Neji, Lee, what's going on in there? Why's it so loud?"
"Let me see!" Lee bounced excitedly, trying to get a look.
Neji, expressionless, said, "It's too noisy here. Let's find another place."
But Lee let out a gasp. "Wait! Neji, isn't that your sister, Hinata? And Naruto Uzumaki, that kid a year below us!"
Neji's brow furrowed. His sister was here? With *Naruto*?
He wasn't unfamiliar with Naruto. Thanks to Hirofumi Ito, Neji had gotten to know him a bit. Sure, Naruto seemed like an idiot sometimes, but he wasn't the "demon fox kid" people made him out to be.
Hirofumi had been building connections with Neji, Lee, and Tenten since before he got his cheat-like abilities. They weren't as close as Naruto, Shikamaru, or Choji, but they were definitely friends. Neji hadn't cared much for Hirofumi at first, but over time, they'd grown familiar, even joining Hirofumi's class for a few casual hangouts.
Without a second thought, Neji pushed through the crowd and stepped inside.
The moment he saw his sister being bullied, veins bulged around his Byakugan. They were calling Hinata a *Byakugan freak*?
*These guys have gone too far.*
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
In a flash, Neji sent the drunks flying.
"Brother…" Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.
"You okay? And… Naruto?" Neji asked coldly, glancing at Hinata and Naruto.
"I'm fine… brother…" Hinata mumbled, slipping back into her timid demeanor.
Naruto, on the other hand, lit up with excitement. "Neji! Lee! Tenten! What're you guys doing here?!"
Lee helped Naruto up, eyeing the dirt and shoe prints on him. "We just finished a mission and came to grab some barbecue. Didn't expect to run into *this*!"
"Those guys are way out of line!" Tenten said, frowning.
The drunks, meanwhile, struggled to their feet on the street.
"You little punks dare hit me?!" one slurred. "Another Byakugan freak, huh?"
"Oh, and a green-skinned weirdo with a ridiculous bowl cut! I'm dying laughing!"
"That bun-haired girl ain't bad-looking, though!"
Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Lee, and Tenten stepped outside, facing the drunks. The rest of their squad, who'd been shopping nearby, noticed the commotion and gathered around. Seeing Naruto's disheveled state and the shoe prints on him, they pieced together what had happened.
Their glares turned icy.
Sasuke Uchiha's hand twitched toward his waist, pulling out a kunai. Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Kiba Inuzuka subtly moved to surround the drunks.
"Hey! What do you brats think you're doing with those looks? You wanna fight?!" one of the drunks barked.
"Who do you think you're messing with? Just a bunch of kids acting tough!"
"Friends with the demon fox and Byakugan freak, huh? Keep it up, and we'll take you all down!"
The constant insults—"Byakugan freak," "demon fox kid"—made the group's glares even colder. Neji's hands glowed with chakra as he assumed a Gentle Fist stance, ready to strike.
But just then, a hand grabbed his arm, stopping him…