Hyuga Hinata

Naruto walked over casually.

When he arrived, quite a few people had already gathered.

Many were gritting their teeth, too consumed by their hatred to even notice Naruto.

It seemed the animosity towards the foreign enemy took precedence over their hatred for him, the Nine-Tails Fox.

Naruto peered inside. The crowd was dense. The inn was even guarded by Anbu, likely out of fear of retaliatory attacks against the Kumogakure representatives.

With so many people, they wouldn't even get a hot meal if they were eating shit.

He decided to go home.

Actually, Naruto was quite interested in the other country, but unfortunately, there were too many people.

Naruto thought the conflict with Kumogakure was over, but two days later, things seemed to shift slightly.

However, for him, an "outsider," none of it was relevant. He didn't even know what was happening specifically.

He tried to ask around for information, but no one paid him any attention.

The only thing Naruto could do was to become stronger, to constantly become stronger. Only then could he have his own firm anchor in this turbulent and dangerous world.

Another two days passed.

It was evening on this day.

After finishing a bowl of tonkotsu chashu ramen, Naruto went for a walk to aid digestion. He ambled to his usual swing spot and sat there, swaying for half an hour.

Childhood was truly interesting.

Four-year-old Naruto might not have thought so, but twenty-four-year-old Naruto did: "Yeah, it really was."

He had a lot of free time, spending his days wandering aimlessly, exploring the world.

After swinging for half an hour, Naruto prepared to head home.

It had snowed heavily in the morning, and now there was a thick layer on the ground.

The weather was very cold, but he wasn't dressed warmly.

Fire Release chakra continuously warmed his body, while Wind Release chakra helped him counteract the biting wind. With his chakra control at a remarkable 132 points, Naruto's mastery over these elements had reached perfection.

When he was out and about, and not needing to display anything superhuman, this was generally how he trained himself.

There were few pedestrians on the road. After walking a long stretch, Naruto hadn't encountered anyone.

Until.

From a distance, a little girl in a black, plain dress was running towards him. She stumbled after a few steps and fell to the ground, then started crying.

"What's wrong?" Naruto walked over.

She was a girl about his age.

Seeing no adults with her, Naruto felt a surge of joy.

Finally, someone to talk to.

"Say something. If you just cry, I won't know what happened to you."

"I, I..."

"Where is your home?" As he got closer, Naruto noticed the girl had Byakugan.

These eyes were somewhat familiar.

It seemed only one clan possessed such eyes.

"Let's go, I'll take you home," Naruto said, taking the girl's hand.

Naruto kept talking along the way, but the little girl remained silent, like a voiceless tree hollow.

Humans are social creatures, after all. Deep down, Naruto desperately wanted to make a friend.

There was once a discussion: if someone had ample food, WiFi, and a phone or computer, how long could they stay at home?

Some said half a year, some said a lifetime, and others said they'd go crazy after a few months.

But aren't phones and computers a form of social interaction?

With a phone or computer, you're constantly receiving new information and interacting online.

What about Naruto?

He had none of that.

No one to talk to, no one to keep him company. Those who hated him wouldn't even spare him a second glance.

Most people avoided him as if he were contagious.

Naruto felt only endless loneliness. If he hadn't possessed a strong will, he would have fallen into despair.

He, who was so lively in his previous life, why had he fallen to such a state in this one?

At this moment, Naruto deeply understood Tom Hanks's predicament in Cast Away.

He wasn't on a deserted island, but it felt like it. Surrounded by people, yet not a single soul to talk to.

This little girl was his Wilson.

After a long talk, the two finally arrived at the entrance of the Hyuga mansion.

"Your house is quite big."

With such a large mansion, parents, and countless people to talk to, why was she still so sad that she ran out crying?

Truly a bit dramatic.

Although he thought this in his heart, Naruto still advised her, "You have such a big home, why are you still crying?"

"Look at me, I don't have any family, but I would never shed tears so easily." As he spoke, Naruto revealed a brilliant smile, the kind that serves as an example.

"Kana~~~"

After seeing her home, Naruto waved goodbye with a smile.

Naruto thought their business was concluded, but he didn't expect...

Two years later.

It was another snowy winter day, and Naruto was sitting on a swing.

Childhood days were this boring and repetitive.

Besides fishing, playing pranks, sitting on swings, lying on the Hokage Rock to feel the wind, adventuring in the forest, and sitting in high places to observe the village, there seemed to be nothing else for him to do alone.

As Naruto was checking his status panel, planning his next strengthening direction, a commotion erupted from behind him.

"You're the daughter of the Hyuga family? Show us your Byakugan."

"If you don't want to, don't look at us. Your eyes are so creepy."

"You're like a monster."

"Byakugan monster."

"Hahahaha."

Byakugan monster?

Heh!

Naruto hated people who discriminated against others for their physical traits the most. He himself was hated by the entire village because of the Nine-Tails.

'This is a matter I, Uzumaki Naruto, the bane of evil, cannot ignore!'

"Hey! Leave that girl alone!" Naruto shouted and charged forward.

"Who are you?" one of the kids asked.

"My name is." Naruto's words were interrupted before he could finish.

"I recognize you, you're the one who did all that graffiti."

"That's right, it was me."

Naruto nodded in agreement. That was all done to complete the Prankster Star side quest.

"Pranks?"

"Are people like you all idiots?"

"Hahaha, stupid."

The three took turns mocking him. Without a word, Naruto walked forward.

Slap, slap, slap~

Three loud and crisp slaps echoed.

The right cheeks of the three instantly turned red and swelled up.

The three were stunned, completely caught off guard. It was only then that they felt the pain.

Instantly, they cried out in pain.

Seeing this, Naruto raised his hand again, as if to strike.

"Run!"

The leader of the children shouted and ran away. The other two also followed, crying as they fled.

"Hahaha."

For some reason, bullying little kids was actually quite fun.

Oh, right, he was also a little kid.

Never mind then.

"Um."

"What is it?" Naruto turned to look at the girl.

She had dark blue hair, Byakugan, and was about his age.

Why did she look so familiar?

"Thank you so, so much," Hinata said, bowing her head in gratitude.

"It was nothing, Kana~~"

Naruto waved goodbye.

It was time to eat, and he had to hurry to grab a good spot.

Halfway there, Naruto suddenly remembered.

This was the little girl he'd sent home two years ago.

He really hadn't expected that after two years, she'd still be so timid... emm... so.

Whatever, he was going to eat.

Meanwhile, Hinata watched Naruto's retreating figure, just watching, watching...

Please collect, recommend, invest.