The Fourth Hokage, What Are Your Thoughts?

"You're not welcome here. Get the hell out!"

"Damn bad luck, seeing something so disgusting first thing in the morning..."

Amid the shopkeeper's angry curses, Naruto desperately clutched the doorframe, wearing a pleading smile that looked almost like he was about to cry. "Sorry, sorry, I just want to buy a mask. I can pay you—double... no, triple!"

As if to prove his words, Naruto freed one hand and pulled a handful of loose change from his pocket, looking pleadingly at the man before him.

But the shopkeeper did not even spare it a glance.

"I already said I'm not selling to you. Double, huh... Hmph, who would dare take a demon fox's money?"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper suddenly shoved him hard. Naruto staggered and fell to the ground, his loose change scattering with a clatter as though a pane of glass had shattered into pieces. Several coins even rolled into the sewer, vanishing with the sound of rippling water.

The nearby passersby all hurriedly moved away, as though they were afraid of touching Naruto.

"That brat again... Why isn't he dead yet?!"

"Hmph, the culprit who killed the Fourth Hokage... Hurry up, hurry up. Good children must never get close to him, understand? He'll bring misfortune to your family!"

"I really don't know why Lord Hokage still lets him stay in the village..."

Wave after wave of cold, hateful gazes fell upon Naruto. His small figure sat there blankly, head lowered, looking like a child who had done something wrong. It felt as though someone were squeezing his heart tight, and an emotion called grievance spread through him, but he did not dare cry.

Because past experience had taught him that doing so would only bring even more mockery.

Nameless: Fourth Hokage, what are your thoughts?

When Naruto was driven out of the shop, Uchiha Hikari had opened the Group Live Stream.

So everyone in the chat group had witnessed those past few minutes firsthand.

Bulma was the first to lose her temper.

Bulma: Wow, these people are disgusting. How can they use such vicious words to curse at a child? Aren't they afraid of divine punishment?

Bulma: And he's Mr. Forever with Sis's child? Wasn't Forever with Sis a hero who sacrificed himself to protect the village? Why is his descendant being treated like this?

As the freest person in the chat group and also the one with the strongest curiosity, Bulma had chatted quite a bit with Minato Namikaze over the past two days and knew a little about the Fourth Hokage's life. That was why Naruto's current situation left her deeply puzzled.

Even gentle-natured Tanjiro found it hard to watch.

Iron Head Kid: No matter the reason, treating a child like this is going too far!

Only Minato Namikaze remained silent. It was not until Uchiha Hikari asked for his "thoughts" that he seemed to snap back to himself, his feelings a tangled mess.

Forever with Sis: I...

Forever with Sis: I knew that Jinchuriki would certainly face discrimination from some people in the village. Kushina was the same back then... But Naruto is still so young. How could these villagers...

Forever with Sis: Miss Hikari, could I trouble you to talk to them?

"..."

Uchiha Hikari let out a soft breath, then stepped forward.

Without so much as glancing at the coldhearted onlookers, she walked through them and crossed to the other side of the street.

Naruto noticed her approaching. Before he could even get back up, he instinctively shrank backward. His small hands, reddened by the cold wind, pressed against the ground, where a small pool of blood had seeped out beneath them—he had scraped himself against the shop's doorframe when the owner shoved him away, and the wound still showed no sign of closing.

Uchiha Hikari bent slightly and extended a hand toward the little blondie. "Need help?"

"!"

Naruto suddenly looked up, his azure eyes wide with disbelief.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the surrounding onlookers erupted.

"Little girl, stay away from that brat! He's a demon fox! He'll bring misfortune to people!"

"...Hmph, I don't think she's a proper child either. Look at how strangely she's dressed. Helping that monster in front of so many people... She's probably an orphan with no one to teach her!"

"Pah! Monster!"

A half-grown child suddenly spat in their direction.

He had been standing close by, and the spit flew straight toward Uchiha Hikari's skirt. Just before it could splash onto her, Uchiha Hikari stepped aside. She looked down at the ground with disgust, then raised her eyes toward the child.

The boy was startled by her gaze, but with his parents beside him, he remained defiant. "What are you looking at? That monster is a curse on the village. Any shop he goes to loses business, and you still dare help him... Get lost, or I'll have someone beat you up!"

"...Heh."

Uchiha Hikari suddenly smiled.

The next moment, her figure flickered. Before the half-grown child could react, she darted in front of him and swung her hand!

Slap! The child flew through the air as though he had been struck by a heavy hammer, both feet leaving the ground. After landing, he rolled several times, then opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with several teeth. His face began swelling at a visible rate.

"You little bitch, you dare hit my son—"

The boy's father froze for several seconds before finally realizing what had happened, immediately bursting into furious curses.

But...

The shouting quickly caught in his throat.

Killing intent.

Tangible killing intent spilled from Uchiha Hikari's icy gaze. For an instant, the boy's father felt as though he had been thrown into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. His entire body began trembling uncontrollably, and he nearly fell to his knees to beg for mercy.

The two Anbu hiding in the shadows felt that killing intent as well.

They exchanged a glance, then sprang from their hiding places and shouted nervously, "Stop!"

"This is Konoha! If you kill someone here, no matter who you are, you'll be thrown in prison!"

"Oh?"

Uchiha Hikari tilted her head and shifted her gaze to the two Anbu. "When they were bullying a child here, you did nothing. I merely taught them a small lesson, and you immediately jumped out... What, do I look easier to bully than they do? Or perhaps... you were actually looking forward to seeing this child get bullied?"

"..."

Having been called out, the Anbu faltered before forcing themselves to argue, "It was only a dispute between children. You went too far..."

"And."

Uchiha Hikari had no intention of following their lead. As her aura surged, her black hair lifted slightly. "Who gave you the courage to bark orders at me?!"

"!!"

Hokage Building.

Having just finished dealing with a batch of documents, Sarutobi Hiruzen put his pipe between his lips and took several deep puffs, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.