The Collapse of Order

The food grew scarcer and scarcer. On the fifth day, there was only enough for ten people.

That day, Naruto and Geng Hua were surrounded and attacked. The death-row prisoners had always been desperate criminals, and once they turned ruthless, they did not even care about their own lives.

Geng Hua used Wood Release to create a cage, protecting only himself as he watched Naruto being besieged outside, turning a blind eye to Naruto's cries.

There was no helping it. Naruto was far too stubborn. He insisted on splitting even the little food they had equally, refusing to change his mind even when hunger left him dizzy and disoriented.

If Geng Hua had not done this, Naruto would never have understood how foolish he was.

Already dizzy with hunger and facing their vicious attacks, Naruto let his guard down for a moment and stabbed a prisoner to death with a shuriken.

When the prisoner fell, the other prisoners attacking Naruto suddenly stopped.

Under Naruto's horrified gaze, the prisoners, maddened by hunger, pounced on the corpse and began tearing into it in huge bites.

Hunger had turned these prisoners into beasts. Once they realized they could eat human flesh, all trust between people vanished completely. More than a dozen people died that day. If Geng Hua had not saved Naruto at the critical moment, Naruto too would have been gnawed clean by those prisoners.

Inside the cage, Naruto stared blankly at the horrific scene outside. Then he suddenly turned and punched Geng Hua, his face twisted with rage.

"Why did you abandon me? Aren't we companions?"

After climbing to his feet, Geng Hua silently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked at Naruto in silence for a while before saying, "Do you still insist on doing things