The Hated Presence

"I... I..."

Seeing the disappointment radiating from Naruto, Hinata did not know what to say for a moment.

"Hinata, I originally thought you sincerely wanted to be friends with me." Naruto let out a long sigh as he looked at the flustered Hinata.

After all, Hinata was so cute. He had really wanted to be friends with her too.

"Only if I spar with you, Naruto, will you believe I sincerely want to be friends with you?" Hinata asked.

She really wanted to get closer to Naruto.

"Oh, so you agree to spar with me?" The disappointment vanished from Naruto's face, and his fighting spirit rose again.

"Hey..."

Sasuke could not stand watching anymore. Naruto's way of making friends was just too bizarre. He set down the charcoal in his hand, ran over, and said, "Naruto, Hinata is a girl."

"What's wrong with girls? Can't I be friends with girls?" Naruto looked at Sasuke with a face full of confusion.

"Sasuke-kun, go train. I really do want to become friends with Naruto-kun." Hinata clenched her fists and put on an eager expression, as though she was looking forward to sparring with Naruto.

"Total idiot." Seeing that the two of them were like Zhou Yu and Huang Gai, Sasuke said no more and turned back to continue making charcoal.

Sure enough, the moment he sat down, he heard a series of thuds behind him. His mouth twitched as he turned around, only to see several fist marks on Hinata's face. Her face was swollen, yet she still said, "Naruto-kun, we're friends now, right?"

"Of course!" Naruto smiled and warmly helped Hinata to her feet. "Actually, Hinata, I wanted to be friends with you yesterday. You just left too quickly."

"Ah, really?" Hinata felt as though her face no longer hurt. At Naruto's words, her heart raced, and her entire face flushed red.

"Really. Truer than the cake steamed this morning," Naruto answered seriously.

After chatting for a while, Naruto deliberately boiled a few eggs for Hinata to reduce the swelling. After all, Hinata was his friend now, so he had to care more about his friend's health.

Another half hour passed before Hinata said goodbye. She had stayed at Naruto's place for far too long today. When she went back, her father might scold her.

She still had to practice her family's Gentle Fist every day after returning home.

As she walked back, Hinata felt sweetness fill her heart. Before, she had not even dared to speak to Naruto. She could only hide in a corner and watch him from afar, sometimes secretly cheering him on.

Who could have imagined that now, not only could she chat alone with Naruto, but she had even become friends with him?

In the past, that would have been nothing but a wild fantasy, utterly impossible.

With a sweet smile on her face, Hinata returned home. When she looked into the front hall and saw that her father was not there, she knew he had to be waiting for her at the training ground, probably with a stern face.

Prepared to be scolded by her father, Hinata crept toward the training ground on tiptoe.

Sure enough, her father stood there with his back to her, exuding a stern aura. Hearing her footsteps, Hyuga Hiashi turned around and looked at his daughter.

The instant he saw her, his pupils contracted. What had happened to her face?

"What happened to your face?" Hyuga Hiashi asked in a deep voice.

"Father, I got this while sparring with someone," Hinata answered honestly.

"Sparring?" Hearing his daughter's answer, Hiashi was quite surprised. He knew his daughter's personality. She was usually so meek and timid, yet she had actually dared to spar with someone.

A strange feeling rose in his heart.

Very good. He did not like a weak daughter. If she dared to spar with others, then even if she came back covered in injuries, he would be satisfied.

At that thought, a rare trace of a smile appeared on Hiashi's usually stern face. "Hinata, very good. Now begin practicing the Gentle Fist."

Hearing her father's praise, Hinata immediately became excited. This was the first time her father had ever praised her. She was perceptive enough to understand that sparring with Naruto had satisfied her father. In her heart, Hinata thanked Naruto, but she loudly replied:

"Yes, Father!"

Time slowly passed. Sometimes, Hinata came back to chat with Naruto, and Naruto was willing to talk with the little girl as well.

Shikamaru and Choji often came over to freeload meals, though it was usually Choji who dragged Shikamaru along.

As for Sasuke, when school ended today, he told Naruto that it was the last day he would be learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu from his brother. Starting tomorrow, he could use the Shadow Clone Jutsu to attend school in his place with Naruto.

Then they could train hard on the Back Mountain.

On the Back Mountain, Naruto was practicing the Ascension Fist. It looked simple, just a fierce and domineering punch that sent opponents happily ascending to heaven with a single strike.

But actually practicing it was difficult. It placed extremely harsh demands on control over one's body and the mobilization of strength.

It was like knowing how to talk about it but not knowing how to do it.

Just then, the Nine-Tails, who was revising its own diet beside him, suddenly raised its head and looked into the distance. "Naruto, I smell a hated presence."

Naruto stopped punching, walked over, and asked, "What hated presence?"

"The Masked Man's presence. Seven years ago, that guy summoned me and controlled my mind, making me slaughter Konoha." As the Nine-Tails spoke, it was practically gritting its teeth.

This showed just how deeply it hated that Masked Man.

"There... are many powerful Chakra presences... A great battle has broken out..." the Nine-Tails suddenly added.

"A great battle?" Naruto looked in the direction the Nine-Tails pointed.

His heart skipped a beat!

Naruto's heart sank as he thought, That's the direction of Sasuke's home. This is bad, Sasuke is in danger...

He calculated the time. Sasuke was probably on his way home right now. If he ran into it, he would definitely be in danger.

"No, I have to go take a look." Naruto could not stop worrying about Sasuke.

"Naruto, I can't go there. If I do, I might get controlled again..." the Nine-Tails said uneasily.

"Fine, then wait here for me." With that, Naruto pushed off the ground and ran in that direction.

"Whoosh..."

"Whoosh..."

Two Anbu Ninja suddenly appeared and blocked Naruto's path. Today, the Third Hokage had given explicit orders not to let Naruto go over there.

"Naruto, it's dangerous over there. You can't go."

"You again?" Naruto looked at the two Anbu Ninja who had been monitoring him and asked in a deep voice, "You're going to stop me?"

"What do you mean, us again? Isn't this the first time we've appeared before you, Naruto?" The two Anbu Ninja exchanged glances, but they had no time to think too much about it. They stretched out their hands to block Naruto. "Naruto, stay here. It's dangerous over there."

"Hmph..."

Naruto snorted coldly and rushed forward, driving both fists toward their chests.

A contemptuous smile appeared on the Anbu Ninja's faces. He was just a little brat. Sure, he was built big, but if he could knock us down, we'd admit defeat. With that thought, the two of them did not move.