The Legend of the Fastest Freebie

"Move, Hinata!"

Hinata Hyuga's small face was pale with fear, and tears glimmered faintly in her eyes.

As the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan, she should have stepped forward and taught them a lesson for their vulgar insults toward the Byakugan.

But in reality, her mind was blank, her limbs were weak, and she had completely forgotten all the taijutsu she had learned, leaving her even more helpless.

"Have you no manners? You deserve a beating!"

The sudden voice made Hinata Hyuga instinctively raise her head.

She saw a scene she might never be able to forget for the rest of her life.

Three streams of water, like leather whips, lashed viciously across the three brats, tearing their skin open.

Their cries of agony rang out.

Hinata Hyuga forced her eyes wide and got a clear look at Natsume's face.

He's so good-looking.

Those three words sprang into her mind.

Hinata Hyuga had thought her cousin Neji Hyuga was already handsome enough, but she had never expected someone could be even better-looking—or rather, even more dashing—than him.

"Are you all right?"

Seeing the dazed look on her face, Natsume wondered if he had frightened her.

But in the next moment, he felt as though he had witnessed a magic trick.

The slight pallor on Hinata Hyuga's small face rapidly gave way to a flush, turning it as red as a ripe apple.

She lowered her head and nervously pressed her index fingers together before speaking in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Th... thank you."

Natsume secretly counted himself lucky to be a ninja with hearing far sharper than an ordinary person's. Otherwise, he really would not have heard her.

Because of your actions, Hinata Hyuga's destiny has changed. You have gained one hundred Destiny Points.

That easily?

Natsume nearly suspected that something had gone wrong with the Sacred Ring of Destiny.

Was Hinata Hyuga really that easy to win over?

After thinking it over for a moment, he found it reasonable.

Our heroine's personality early on was indeed rather shy—or rather, she lacked courage.

She would grow little by little.

If he wanted to raise her favorability toward him, it was very simple: save her from a group of brats.

But he only had one chance.

In the original story, that person was Naruto Uzumaki.

Now Natsume had beaten him to it, and his looks were also quite popular with women.

Because of your actions, Naruto Uzumaki's destiny has changed. You have gained thirty-nine Destiny Points.

The Sacred Ring of Destiny sounded another prompt.

The Destiny Points contributed by Naruto Uzumaki were not very many.

His destiny would not change just because he had lost Hinata Hyuga.

How should he put it?

Naruto Uzumaki was actually rather pitiful. It seemed as though he had changed many things, but in the end, nothing had changed.

After becoming Hokage and saving the world, everything that was supposed to be chaotic remained chaotic, and every war that was supposed to happen still happened.

The so-called Talk no Jutsu was nothing more than persuasive power based on strength.

Jiraiya and the others did not believe in Talk no Jutsu. They believed that Naruto Uzumaki had the strength to bring peace.

Unfortunately, that peace was never achieved.

Hinata Hyuga had not heard a reply for a long time, so she cautiously raised her head. Instead, she saw Natsume wearing a bright, happy smile.

She instantly grew flustered, like a frightened white rabbit, and buried her head again, not daring to look at him.

"What's your name?"

Looking at her like this, Natsume could not help wanting to pinch her cheeks.

She's just too cute.

The only pity was that she had short hair as a child.

He preferred Hinata Hyuga's long hair. It looked better.

"Hi... na... ta... Hyu... ga."

Hinata Hyuga struggled greatly to finish saying her name.

"Keeping your head lowered like that isn't good for your back."

Natsume crouched down, patted her back, and spoke.

Hinata Hyuga's body trembled, and the blush on her face spread to her ears.

She raised her head, looking as though she had soaked in a hot spring for a long time, her whole body dizzy and languid.

"Hey?"

Natsume hurriedly caught her falling body.

This constitution really is one of a kind.

"I... I'm fine."

Hinata Hyuga struggled to steady herself.

"Where do you live? I'll take you home."

Natsume was afraid she would faint and leave him no choice but to carry her to the Hyuga Clan compound, where he would not only have to endure countless Byakugan glares but might also be beaten to death by a barrage of fists.

"I... I..."

Hinata Hyuga was clearly overloaded, as though steam were about to pour from her head.

Natsume stopped teasing her. He took a small step back and said gently, "Don't rush. Take your time and think."

After a moment, Hinata Hyuga lowered her head again, clenched the hem of her clothes, and nervously kneaded it. "I... I don't remember the way."

Right. She's directionally challenged.

Natsume remembered that the young Hinata Hyuga really did have this character trait.

That's pretty impressive.

She has the Byakugan and can still get lost.

The most ridiculous part was that, despite having so many members, the Hyuga Clan had not even noticed that Hinata Hyuga was missing.

She was the eldest daughter of the main family, yet they did not seem to care about her at all.

Natsume had never been to the Hyuga Clan compound, but he knew the general direction.

Just as he was preparing to take Hinata Hyuga there, a dark figure flashed in front of her.

"Lady Hinata, are you all right?"

As he spoke, he eyed Natsume warily.

But after noticing the Konoha forehead protector on Natsume's head, his expression relaxed slightly.

Hinata Hyuga shook her head.

"Since your guard has arrived, I won't take you home."

Natsume revealed a gentle smile and said, "Try not to get lost next time."

He turned and left.

Hinata Hyuga suddenly felt anxious. She instinctively took several steps forward.

Your name!

Before she could say those four words, Natsume had already disappeared.

A look of disappointment appeared on Hinata Hyuga's small face.

"Lady Hinata, let's go home."

Tokuma Hyuga withdrew his gaze.

He had never seen Natsume before, but those two sentences had already made it clear that Natsume had merely happened to encounter the lost Hinata Hyuga, so there was no need to investigate further.

Hinata Hyuga nodded absently in response, but she was filled with regret.

Who are you, exactly?

That question would probably trouble her for a very long time.

Natsume returned to the Gunma Casino.

He felt a little disappointed that he had not encountered Naruto Uzumaki.

As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki had always been personally handled by Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Natsume had once indirectly asked Tsunade whether she could adopt Naruto Uzumaki.

Minato Namikaze aside, Kushina Uzumaki had grown up under the care of her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki.

Tsunade should have had a close relationship with her. Emotionally speaking, adopting her son should not have been a problem.

But it was impossible.

Hiruzen Sarutobi currently did not allow anyone else to interfere.

Even Kakashi Hatake and Jiraiya had only been permitted to teach Naruto Uzumaki after his Will of Fire had been confirmed.

As for Shimura Danzo, there was no need to mention him.

He had long wanted Naruto Uzumaki to join Root.

Thus, he and Hiruzen Sarutobi repeatedly reenacted their classic exchange.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

"Danzo, I'm the Hokage."

If Natsume wanted to approach Naruto Uzumaki without arousing Hiruzen Sarutobi's suspicion, he needed to choose the right moment.

Ideally, it would be an accidental encounter.

"Big brother!"

Karin immediately tossed aside her textbook and came bouncing over.

"How was your studying today? I'm going to test you."

Natsume picked her up and asked, "What does 'Those whose strength is insufficient stop halfway' from The Analects mean?"

"People weaker than me can only be beaten until they're crippled on the path!"

Karin clenched her little fists and answered fiercely despite her adorable voice.

Confucius: Nice!

This account seems to be ruined.

Huina, while we're still young, let's make a new account.