Take the Money and Leave Hinata

The crowds flowed back and forth.

The leader of Team Eight, Kurenai Yuhi, strode into the hall, her long legs moving with a sensual grace.

Behind her came Kiba Inuzuka, with a dog perched on his head, and Shino Aburame, bundled up in a robe and wearing sunglasses.

Hinata was the only one missing.

Naruto took the initiative and went over to ask, "Hello, Kurenai Sensei. Why isn't Hinata here?"

Kurenai had a pair of dark red eyes, and her fluffy black hair rested on her shoulders. She looked especially striking. "Are you looking for Hinata?"

Naruto nodded.

Kurenai said thoughtfully, "She's outside. Her father just called her away."

"Thank you, Sensei." Naruto left the hall. Before he could even start looking for anyone, a fierce aura pressed down on him like an iceberg.

Following the feeling, he saw Hinata standing beside a dignified-looking man in front of the plaza's notice board. Her small hands were clasped over her lower abdomen, and she stood with her head bowed, looking dejected.

Naruto glanced at Hinata with concern, then looked straight at the man and walked toward him.

As the distance between them closed, the pressure weighing on Naruto grew stronger and sharper, as if a thousand blades were cutting into him, ready to carve him to pieces.

Yet Naruto kept an even pace from beginning to end. When he reached the man, he greeted him politely. "Hello, Uncle Hiashi."

Hyuga Hiashi didn't respond to Naruto. Instead, he looked at Hinata and barked, "Go home!"

Naruto was unhappy—very unhappy. That shout had sounded as if it had been directed at him, but this was someone else's family matter. He had no right to interfere.

He only wanted to clear up one thing so he could make his own position clear. "Hinata! You said yes to me yesterday, right?"

Hinata had just turned around when she began to tremble violently. The veins around her Byakugan, extending to her temples, bulged.

She nodded firmly, then ran off in tears.

She knew full well that if she stood her ground, she would only bring trouble to Naruto.

The Hyuga were the most powerful family in Konoha.

After getting a clear answer from her, Naruto smiled. He had only been worried that Hinata and her father were on the same side. If they were, he would have had nothing to say.

"What do you want, Uncle?"

Hyuga Hiashi was quite surprised. His killing intent was strong enough to make an ordinary Genin fall to their knees, yet Naruto hadn't reacted at all.

He pulled a stack of bills from the sleeve of his kimono and held them out to Naruto. "Take the money and leave Hinata."

As she ran, Hinata couldn't help looking back. She hadn't expected her father to try to use money to end their relationship.

"Naruto really does need money. He wouldn't..."

Her heart tightened with fear.

But the boy she liked would never let her down. He answered with a firmness that matched her hopes.

Facing the pressure of a powerful jōnin and the temptation of money, Naruto pushed Hiashi's hand away without hesitation. "Money can never measure my relationship with Hinata."

Hearing that answer from the blond brat, Hyuga Hiashi's anger flared instantly. But as head of the Hyuga family, all he said was, coldly, "Three hundred thousand ryō."

Naruto shook his head.

"Five hundred thousand."

Naruto shook his head again.

"One million!"

Hyuga Hiashi's voice was laced with anger. If the blond brat weren't a Jinchuriki, he would have loved to kill him with an Eight Trigrams Palm and feed him to the dogs.

"Not a chance." Naruto's gaze burned. "I told you, money can't measure it."

At the street corner, Hinata's tears streamed down one after another, a floodgate finally broken. Without looking back, she ran toward the training ground.

She would work hard—just like Naruto.

The mission hall was already the busiest place in Konoha, and almost everyone knew both Hyuga Hiashi and Naruto.

Their confrontation naturally drew a crowd of onlookers.

That only made Hyuga Hiashi feel more humiliated. Who was he, to argue with a child over a matter between children?

He had thought he could easily scare the blond brat off. Now it seemed the boy had considerable ambition!

"If you want to attach yourself to the Hyuga family, prove your worth. You think you'll earn our recognition by taking advantage of Hinata's ignorance?"

"Uncle, I call you that out of respect for Hinata," Naruto said calmly. "Don't push your luck."

Hyuga Hiashi's face turned livid. No one had dared show him such disrespect since the day he was born.

If he didn't teach the boy a lesson, what would become of the Hyuga family's dignity?

He reached for Naruto's collar.

Smack!

Naruto slapped his hand away. It flew up high, and Hiashi's eyes widened.

At the sight, the watching ninja hurriedly looked away and scattered, pretending they were just passing by.

Just then, a one-of-a-kind pink-haired figure ran against the crowd and into the mission hall.

"Third Grandpa! Iruka Sensei!" Haruno Sakura shouted. "Naruto's in trouble! He's fighting Hinata's father in the plaza!"

Whoosh!

Hiruzen Sarutobi practically sprang over his desk and shot toward the door. Iruka also vaulted over the desk.

Sakura hurried after them.

After Team Seven had split up, Naruto's happy expression as he waited for Hinata had stayed on her mind.

Hadn't he said he would wait for her answer? Why was he fooling around with Hinata again?

She had secretly doubled back to see what was going on, only to witness what Naruto had done and said for Hinata's sake.

What kind of resolve was that? For a moment, she actually envied Hinata.

In the plaza.

Hyuga Hiashi's face was livid. He hadn't been serious, but an adult facing a baby wouldn't expect the baby to be able to shake him.

Naruto's Super Strength had hit like a charging bull, leaving Hiashi's arm numb.

He looked at Naruto, whose aura had changed completely and whose gaze was sharp as a sword. A thought he could hardly believe rose in his mind.

If he didn't get serious, he might not be able to restrain the boy.

Given his position, he couldn't act on that thought—and he no longer had the chance. A powerful surge of Chakra burst from the mission hall, sweeping out with a gust of wind.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, his Hokage Robe fluttering, stepped between the two. His very presence commanded awe. "Lord Hiashi!"

Hyuga Hiashi replied formally, "Lord Sarutobi."

Hiruzen said softly, "Naruto, what trouble have you gotten into this time? Apologize to Lord Hiashi."

"I can't apologize." Naruto stared at the Third. "If you're going to protect me, then do it properly. Don't leave me hanging and let me take the blame."

Hiruzen was taken aback, but warmth filled his heart. Naruto still knew he was protecting him.

He steeled himself. "Hiashi, Naruto is just a child. What did he do that you had to deal with him personally?"

Hyuga Hiashi knew that trying to stop Hinata from seeing Naruto wasn't something worth bringing up in public, so he changed the subject. "Third Hokage, you can ask the boy yourself. I have a mission to handle. If you'll excuse me."

Hiruzen nodded, allowing both sides to save face.

After Hiashi left, he turned to Naruto. "Can you tell Grandpa what happened?"

Naruto was fairly satisfied with how he had handled things just now. He nodded and said, "That old geezer looks down on me and won't let me near Hinata."

Hiruzen understood. His tone turned oddly curious. "Are you and Hinata... dating?"

Naruto blushed and waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no. I'm borrowing money from her. I've been eating more lately, and my mission pay isn't enough."

At the word "money," Hiruzen fell silent.

According to the records, the Fourth had completed thirty-nine S-rank missions, each paying at least one million ryō, and 323 A-rank missions, paying between 150,000 and one million.

Add Kushina Uzumaki's earnings to that, and their family fortune should have amounted to hundreds of millions of ryō.

Yet their son Naruto had never enjoyed any of it. Now he was even being scolded by someone else's father for borrowing money.

Hiruzen was overwhelmed with shame. "Naruto, if you need money, you can ask Third Grandpa. I was worried you'd spend it recklessly before, but now..."

"Give me five hundred thousand ryō." Naruto held out his hand. "Thanks."