The Hyuga Clan compound.
Morning sunlight streamed into the dojo as Hinata Hyuga began her daily training with her father, Hiashi Hyuga.
As the heir of the main family, mastering the Gentle Fist was absolutely essential.
Without sufficient strength, even the Caged Bird Seal would not be enough to restrain the branch family members.
Because of that…
Hiashi Hyuga's harsh instruction toward his eldest daughter was a daily routine.
Smack! Smack!
Blue chakra spiraled through the air.
Chakra released from fingertips, palms, and the body's chakra points for both offense and defense—this was one of the core secrets of the Gentle Fist.
"There's an opening!"
Hiashi Hyuga's expression was extremely stern.
He rarely smiled, and the authority of a clan leader radiated from him.
Most Hyuga Clan members feared him greatly.
Seeing his daughter lose focus, Hiashi Hyuga did not hesitate.
His palm struck her face.
Smack!
With the crisp sound of impact, Hinata Hyuga cried out in pain and was knocked to the ground.
"You have ten minutes to compose yourself!"
Hiashi Hyuga looked down at his daughter coldly.
His words carried only criticism, not affection.
"Yes… Father…"
Hinata Hyuga quickly stood up and respectfully left the training room.
—
"Lady Hinata… why were you distracted?"
Under the eaves of the dojo, the branch family maid Hinata Natsu gently applied medicine to Hinata Hyuga's cheek.
Hinata Hyuga lowered her head, her mood growing even heavier.
"Natsu… why does everyone treat Naruto Uzumaki like that…?"
Yesterday's scene flashed through her mind.
Hearing the question, Hinata Natsu froze for a moment, the cotton swab in her hand stopping midair.
After a short pause, she put the medicine away.
"In any case… Lady Hinata, please make sure you never get close to that boy Naruto Uzumaki…"
A few minutes later, Hinata Hyuga returned to the dojo to resume training.
Meanwhile, Hinata Natsu took out a shopping list and headed toward the shopping street.
Early in the morning, she noticed the crowd gathered around the burned shop.
As a member of the Hyuga Clan—especially as the personal maid of the main family—she had already heard about the arson and murder the previous night.
But seeing the burned ruins with her own eyes still surprised her.
The area had been completely sealed off.
All that remained were charred ruins left behind by the flames.
"Hm?!"
After standing there for a moment, Hinata Natsu sensed someone watching her.
"It's that demon fox brat!"
Naruto Uzumaki stood across the street, some distance from the burned mask shop.
The villagers around him avoided him like a plague.
Unlike yesterday, when they whispered insults, today the villagers looked at him with fear.
No one dared speak ill of him anymore.
Hinata Natsu immediately understood.
The villagers probably believed the destruction of the mask shop had something to do with Naruto Uzumaki.
Whether through curses, misfortune, or other superstitions…
To them, the boy had become a walking disaster.
Across the street, Naruto Uzumaki scratched his head.
That simple action made nearby villagers scatter in panic.
The empty circle around him grew even larger.
Soon Naruto Uzumaki stood alone in the middle of the wide street.
However, Hinata Natsu knew something the villagers did not.
The truth was that no one in authority suspected Naruto Uzumaki at all.
Not the Uchiha Police Force.
Not the Anbu.
Not even Konoha's leadership.
This confused Hinata Natsu.
"Since Naruto Uzumaki is the demon fox… why does no one suspect him?"
Because of the information gap, Hinata Natsu didn't know Naruto Uzumaki was the son of the Fourth Hokage.
Yet by coincidence, she had arrived very close to the truth.
The killer…
Really was Naruto Uzumaki.
After staring briefly, Hinata Natsu turned to leave.
As she walked away, she noticed Naruto Uzumaki watching her.
Those blue eyes did not appear beautiful or pure to her.
They only filled her with disgust.
Naruto Uzumaki quietly watched her leave.
Once the Hyuga maid disappeared into the distance, he began following her.
Soon, Hinata Natsu sensed something was wrong.
She and Kakashi Hatake were from the same generation, meaning she was only about a year younger.
At her age, she could easily be called a young woman.
Naruto Uzumaki followed slowly behind her, always keeping some distance.
Wherever the white-eyed maid went, Naruto Uzumaki followed.
The behavior felt like being haunted by a ghost—or worse.
Eventually, Hinata Natsu couldn't hold back her anger.
Just as she was about to confront him—
Naruto Uzumaki suddenly glanced to the side.
Then he quickly walked away.
"…How strange."
Frowning slightly, the beautiful maid's already low opinion of Naruto Uzumaki dropped even further.
What she didn't know was that someone else's sudden appearance had saved her from danger.
—
"Anbu sister… we meet again."
In a dark alley, Naruto Uzumaki met the Anbu girl who had called out to him.
Yugao Uzuki.
Why had she appeared at this moment?
"Naruto Uzumaki."
Dressed in an Anbu uniform and wearing a cat-patterned mask, Yugao Uzuki tried to keep her voice cold.
But as someone who knew Naruto Uzumaki was the son of the Fourth Hokage, her true attitude still showed.
It was concern for the hero's child.
"You heard about what happened at the mask shop, right?"
Bad news traveled fast.
In just one morning, the entire village already knew.
Konoha had enjoyed peace for several years.
So such an incident naturally caused a huge stir.
Early that morning, Yugao Uzuki received a special order from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
She was to keep a close eye on Naruto Uzumaki.
The Hokage feared the murder might be a diversion created by enemy forces.
If the Jinchuriki became a target, it would be disastrous.
So Yugao Uzuki had been assigned to watch Naruto Uzumaki for the next few days.
Naruto Uzumaki nodded.
"Yes."
"Then… go home and stay there. Don't wander around."
The safest thing was obviously staying inside.
But Naruto Uzumaki scratched his head.
"It's boring at home."
"Being alone all day isn't fun."
He glanced into the distance.
The Hyuga maid had already disappeared.
Which meant…
Yugao Uzuki would have to help him deal with the swelling instead.
Completely unaware she had become a target, Yugao Uzuki hesitated briefly.
Then she agreed to spend some time with him.
"Not playing," Naruto Uzumaki corrected.
"Training."
"And my dream is to become Hokage! I want everyone to acknowledge me!"
Hearing this passionate declaration, Yugao Uzuki couldn't help smiling beneath her mask.
The son of the Fourth Hokage becoming Hokage himself seemed perfectly natural.
Yugao Uzuki believed strongly in bloodline potential.
After all, her childhood friend Hayate Gekko also possessed a powerful bloodline ability.
Soon, Yugao Uzuki followed Naruto Uzumaki back to his home.
"It's warmer inside…"
Yugao Uzuki rubbed her arms.
Standing guard outside in winter was never comfortable.
Naruto Uzumaki closed the door, walked into the living room, and turned on the television.
A meaningless show was playing.
Watching Naruto Uzumaki become absorbed in the program, Yugao Uzuki smiled.
"He really is still just a child…"
Then she glanced at the refrigerator.
There was something she had been curious about for days.
Quietly opening it, she saw it packed full of milk.
"…Milk again."
Her breath caught slightly.
Her sharp Anbu instincts noticed something strange.
She took one bottle from the back.
Then froze.
"It's expired…"
Which meant the reason she had felt strange the other day might be because Naruto Uzumaki had fed her expired milk.
Quickly closing the fridge, Yugao Uzuki pretended nothing happened.
But Naruto Uzumaki had already noticed her silhouette.
Her slender figure radiated youthful energy.
The exposed shoulders and arms of her Anbu uniform shone like pale jade.
Inside Naruto Uzumaki, something began to stir.
Being a child really isn't easy, Yugao Uzuki thought.
Tomorrow I should replace all this expired milk.
After all, the hero's son deserved someone to care for him.
Then she remembered another reason for coming.
"Naruto Uzumaki… can you control the Nine-Tails' power?"
The question made her heart beat faster.
The Nine-Tails Incident had left a deep impression on her childhood.
The destruction it caused was unforgettable.
This question wasn't ordered by the Hokage.
It was her personal curiosity.
"Nine-Tails?"
Naruto Uzumaki tilted his head.
"What's that?"
Yugao Uzuki inhaled sharply.
She suddenly realized Naruto Uzumaki might not even know what a tailed beast was.
Most people in Konoha didn't understand such things.
"I'm the one they mean."
Kurama's deep voice echoed from behind the sealed gate.
"Oh… so you're the Nine-Tails, stinky fox."
Naruto Uzumaki nodded.
"Just call me Nine-Tails, brat!"
Kurama snapped angrily.
In the shinobi world, merely hearing the name Nine-Tails made people tremble.
Yet this boy showed absolutely no respect.
Meanwhile Yugao Uzuki realized Naruto Uzumaki had been speaking to the Nine-Tails.
"So it's called Nine-Tails… I guess controlling its chakra isn't too hard."
Then Naruto Uzumaki looked up.
"By the way, Anbu sister… I don't know your name yet."
Seeing Naruto Uzumaki's innocent expression, Kurama instantly sensed trouble.
This brat was planning something.
"And it seems another human female is about to suffer…"
"My name is Yugao Uzuki."
After hesitating, she told him.
"But it's a secret. Anbu usually can't reveal their identities."
"Got it, Yugao sister!"
Naruto Uzumaki acted excited.
As if he had made a new friend.
"Then I'll tell you a secret too."
"I'm actually very strong. Stronger than you."
Naruto Uzumaki began baiting her again.
Yugao Uzuki still couldn't accept that she had once been defeated by him in a single move.
"You're still a child," she replied.
But Naruto Uzumaki continued.
"For example… right now I could defeat you in one move again."
Yugao Uzuki normally wasn't competitive.
But hearing such bold words from a child stirred her pride.
Her face flushed beneath the mask.
"Naruto Uzumaki, that's impossible—"
"I'm going to use the Nine-Tails' power now."
The childish voice fell.
Then—
The wind exploded.
Boom!
A violent surge of Nine-Tails chakra erupted inside the house.
Orange chakra roared upward, forming the shape of a massive fox head on the ceiling.
"ROAR!"
The chakra's pressure crashed into Yugao Uzuki like a shockwave.
"Ugh!"
Her long purple hair whipped backward in the storm.
The overwhelming force pinned her in place.
Just standing upright consumed nearly all her strength.
"How… chakra can take physical form…?"
Before she could react—
Naruto Uzumaki rushed forward.
His body was now covered in the Tailed Beast Cloak.
BAM!
The last thing Yugao Uzuki saw before losing consciousness was Naruto Uzumaki's glowing red eyes—
—and the unnatural swelling beneath his clothing.
Then darkness.
Kurama groaned.
"Brat… you hit her way too hard."
Naruto Uzumaki's punch had struck her forehead directly.
And it was coated with the Tailed Beast Cloak.
Nine-Tails chakra carried corrosive hatred.
That power could paralyze and slowly damage anyone it touched.
Not everyone could withstand a tailed beast's chakra.
Only special individuals could become Jinchuriki.
Naruto Uzumaki calmly assessed the situation.
"She'll probably be unconscious for two days."
A minor inconvenience.
But manageable.
He removed the Anbu mask.
Yugao Uzuki's porcelain-like face appeared beneath it.
Her purple hair spread across the floor.
Her unconscious figure looked strangely beautiful.
Naruto Uzumaki's breathing slowly grew heavier.
"Yugao sister fainted… it's my fault."
"So now I have to take good care of her."
Kurama remained silent.
Naruto Uzumaki grabbed her wrist.
Instead of taking her to the basement used for interrogations—
He carried her into his bedroom.
With a casual toss, he threw her onto the bed.
White sheets framed her delicate figure.
Naruto Uzumaki closed the curtains.
Darkness filled the room.
Shadows began to expand and twist.
They stretched toward the bed.
Naruto Uzumaki exhaled slowly.
—
At the same time…
Far north along the border of the Land of Fire.
Winter winds blew harshly across the plains.
A Konoha reconnaissance team rubbed their hands together, breathing clouds of white mist.
They had marched nonstop for an entire day.
Their mission concerned an unexpected message.
Kumogakure had offered a proposal of alliance.
The Fourth Raikage himself had signed a letter confirming it.
The sudden development had alarmed Konoha's leadership.
Some even wondered if it was connected to the murder case.
Regardless, Konoha chose to respond with equal sincerity.
The leader of the reconnaissance mission was the rising shinobi Hayate Gekko.
His bloodline ability, Transparency Release, allowed him to turn invisible.
It had earned him great achievements.
But such power came with a price.
His body was gradually weakening.
Like a brilliant meteor, his life would burn brightly—but briefly.
Standing at the border, Hayate Gekko accepted the Raikage's letter.
After confirming the alliance proposal, he shook hands with the Kumogakure envoy.
"Peace… is finally within reach."
Soon the Kumogakure delegation departed.
The Konoha team could finally rest.
But Hayate Gekko refused to wait.
"I'll return to the village immediately with the letter."
His teammates laughed.
"Missing your girlfriend already?"
"Two days apart and you can't handle it?"
Hayate Gekko smiled warmly.
Then he rushed off into the cold wind.
As he traveled, one thought crossed his mind.
What is Yugao doing right now…?