Nothing Hurts More Than Comparison

Hinata Hyuga turned around, but she saw neither her guard, Tokuma Hyuga, nor anything but snow stretching across the sky.

She had gotten lost again.

Ever since Natsume had saved her last time, she had been unable to stop thinking about him. She wanted to see him again and ask what his name was.

"De... Tokuma."

Hinata Hyuga called out softly.

She had followed the route she remembered in search of the small woods where she had met Natsume, and she had not been afraid.

But now that she was alone, with nothing but a vast expanse of white wherever she looked, it was inevitable that she would panic.

"Hey, Byakugan monster! Stop right there!"

The sudden voice stirred some unpleasant memories in Hinata Hyuga.

She immediately froze in place.

Three tall children ran up in front of her.

"I heard you beat Kyu and the other two until they cried? Those eyes are seriously disgusting."

As he spoke, the boy in the middle shoved her.

Hinata immediately fell onto the snow.

"Wahahaha!"

The boy threw back his head and laughed arrogantly. "Loser!"

Kyu and the other two had been taught a lesson by Natsume, leaving them traumatized. On top of that, they did not know who he was, so they never mentioned him.

Their buddies, namely these three boys, learned that they had been beaten after running into Hinata Hyuga, so they decided to avenge them.

Bullying.

It had been common in his previous life back in Nippon. Even princesses could not avoid it.

In the world of Naruto, it was easy to understand how Hinata Hyuga could be bullied.

"Stop!"

"Who?"

The boy turned around and saw a blond boy wearing a scarf. He looked about the same age as him.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I'm going to be Hokage in the future!"

"Huh? Hokage in the future? Are you an idiot?"

The boy sneered at Naruto Uzumaki, who had spoken with complete seriousness.

"Bastard!"

Naruto Uzumaki was enraged.

But in the next second, the boy's fist slammed down. His little face immediately swelled red, and blood gushed from his nose.

"What future Hokage? And you're wearing a red scarf to look cool."

The three children tore off Naruto Uzumaki's red scarf and swung it like a jump rope.

Seeing this, Hinata's anticipation instantly vanished. She was so frightened that her face turned as white as the snow.

What was that saying again? Without comparison, there was no sense of harm.

She was quite grateful that Naruto Uzumaki had stepped up to defend her.

But the moment he took action, he was knocked down and left in a miserable state.

It reminded her of the powerful and handsome Natsume.

By comparison, he seemed especially outstanding.

Water Style: Water Whip!

A sound tore through the air.

A few seconds later, it was replaced by cries of anguish.

Hinata Hyuga's body trembled, and her eyes lit up.

It's him. It's him again.

Natsume found it utterly absurd.

Hinata Hyuga had managed to get lost twice and be bullied twice.

This time, Naruto Uzumaki had been added to the mix.

He truly admired these three brats.

They were practically dancing in hell.

Whether it was Hinata Hyuga or Naruto Uzumaki, with their identities, they could kill these three brats outright without suffering any consequences.

Fortunately, the Sacred Ring of Destiny had not issued a warning.

Natsume did not need to worry about Hinata Hyuga being kidnapped, either.

He walked over, helped Naruto Uzumaki to his feet, and handed him the red scarf, which had already been ruined.

"Can you still walk?"

For Natsume, this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to make contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

But Naruto Uzumaki's reaction was somewhat different from what he had expected.

He looked at Natsume with confusion and unease in his eyes. He picked up the scarf, said nothing, and staggered away.

Because of his identity as the demon fox, Naruto Uzumaki was feared and shunned by others, and no one would help him.

Thus, he believed that Natsume had failed to recognize him. Once he did, his attitude would change drastically.

If that was the case, it was better for Naruto to be sensible and leave.

"Hinata, where's your guard?"

Natsume turned to the little cutie wrapped in a scarf and asked with a smile, "How did you get lost again?"

Hinata Hyuga stared blankly for two seconds. Her little face immediately flushed bright red, and she looked as if she were about to faint.

"I'll take you home first."

Natsume would rather have a heart-to-heart talk with Naruto Uzumaki.

Hinata Hyuga's affection for him was already maxed out, so he could set her aside for now.

This opportunity was rare. He could not let it slip away.

He glanced in the direction Naruto Uzumaki had left. If he moved fast enough, he could still catch up.

"Your name is...?"

Hinata Hyuga was just about to ask Natsume's name when she saw him bend down and scoop her up. He then sped toward the Hyuga Clan's compound.

Her eyes immediately widened. Feeling the white breath he exhaled, she became emotionally overloaded and fainted.

It took Natsume only three minutes to reach the gate of the Hyuga residence.

"Hinata? Wake up."

He set Hinata down and shook her.

It did not take long for her to wake up.

Natsume breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We're already at your door. You shouldn't get lost now, right? Then I'll see you next time."

Body Flicker Technique.

He immediately vanished.

"Eh?"

Hinata Hyuga came to her senses and looked around in all directions, but she could not see a trace of him. In the end, she drooped her head and entered the compound.

She still did not know his name.

Natsume caught up with Naruto Uzumaki.

He had just arrived at the hot spring district.

Of course, since he did not know Jiraiya yet, he was not here to bathe in the hot springs. He had come to buy something.

Although Naruto Uzumaki had taken a beating, his constitution was far too strong. Before he even reached the hospital, he had already recovered completely.

"Boss, I want nine buckets of instant noodles!"

"You again?"

The owner's face filled with disgust as he shouted, "I told you I wouldn't sell you anything again. Get out of here! If someone sees you, I'll be in trouble again."

The last time, he had felt sorry for Naruto Uzumaki and sold him some instant noodles.

But afterward, the neighbors had ostracized him.

When all of Konoha believed that Naruto Uzumaki was the demon fox, everyone's compassion and conscience would be devoured.

Helping him meant making oneself an outsider.

After weighing the pros and cons, they could only persecute this three-year-old child.

Whether he was truly the demon fox no longer mattered.

That was the atmosphere—or rather, public opinion.

Naruto Uzumaki's eyes dimmed, and the smile on his face froze.

Why does everyone have to treat me like this?

What exactly did I do wrong?

The demon fox? I'm human, not a fox. What part of me looks like a fox?

"Boss, I'll buy a whole case of instant noodles."

The slightly familiar voice made Naruto Uzumaki raise his head.

It was the big brother who had just saved him.

"All right."

The owner's attitude changed instantly, becoming extremely enthusiastic.

Natsume paid, then asked him for another bag and filled it with nine buckets of instant noodles.

"That'll be three hundred ryo."

"Huh?"

Naruto Uzumaki timidly pointed at himself and asked, "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course. Didn't you want to buy instant noodles? I'm selling them to you."

Natsume raised an eyebrow, pulled three hundred ryo from his hand, and then stuffed the plastic bag into his arms with a smile. "Going back and forth like this, I even made thirty ryo. Not bad."

Naruto Uzumaki stood there, stunned and unable to react.

A few seconds later, he gritted his teeth and asked, "I'm the demon fox everyone talks about. Aren't you afraid of me?"

"What's there to fear about a little brat? Let me tell you, I specialize in dealing with fox spirits."

Natsume stood up and said, "I know a place that will sell you things. I'll take you there."

Well, his Wood Style really did counter the Nine-Tails.

There was nothing wrong with saying he specialized in dealing with fox spirits.