Konoha Life

How could life in Konoha be described? Peaceful and quiet, with no war or turmoil.

Hui Youling woke from her sleep. She turned her head, caught sight of the view outside the window, and froze.

Thinking back to how happily Naruto had given up his bed for her yesterday, she felt rather touched.

A thin layer of mist covered the window. She glanced at the clock: it wasn't even six yet, and her body had already rested well enough.

Maybe it was like Naruto, who never worried about being unable to sleep or having nightmares. He slept with the least care in the world.

But as Hui Youling thought about it now, she felt she'd overlooked something. She hurried out of the room.

Naruto had been kicked out to sleep on the sofa in the living room. He was probably hugging his blanket and having another sweet dream. She didn't want to see him looking so undignified, but today she had to clear a few things up with him.

She opened the door and could practically feel a vein throbbing. The idiot had rolled off the sofa and ended up beside the table without noticing, drooling for some inexplicable reason as he mumbled, "I want more!"

Hui Youling froze for a moment, but her hand had already reacted. She hurled a cushion at him.

"Ah!" Naruto jolted awake, then sadly banged his head against the table leg. She couldn't help snickering.

"Are you going back to sleep, you idiot Naruto?" Hui Youling asked, hands on her hips, looking at him helplessly.

Naruto sat up at once and grinned foolishly. "Morning, Hui!"

"Morning!" she replied.

"By the way, let's go shopping today!"

"Ah! Why?" Naruto had always been afraid of things like that. He didn't want to see the looks in those people's eyes.

"Because you don't have anything at home. Are you going to eat air from now on?" Hui Youling chided him.

"Oh... I get it." Seeing that Hui was angry, Naruto didn't dare say anything more.

"Naruto!" Hui Youling suddenly called.

"Ah, what is it?" Naruto thought he hadn't said anything wrong.

"Do you know if I'm a boy or a girl?" Hui Youling walked closer, looking at Naruto with a dangerous glint in her eyes and a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"A girl! Grandpa Third Hokage told me. Though you don't seem like a girl at all!" Naruto looked at her in confusion, completely unaffected.

Ignoring his last remark, Hui Youling coaxed him, "Hey, this is a secret between us, all right?"

"A secret?"

"Mm, a secret that belongs only to you and me. Naruto, you can't tell anyone, okay?" Hui Youling straightened up and put a finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture.

"Oh, okay!" Naruto was so excited by the thought of a secret that belonged to just the two of them that he agreed without even thinking.

Hui Youling smiled. Naruto was such an idiot; he was so easy to fool. She stretched lazily and said brightly, "All right, go wash your face. You'd better change your clothes too!"

After saying that, Hui Youling headed into the bathroom as if she owned the place. Naruto watched her and smiled softly. It felt so good to have a friend.

Hui Youling didn't want anyone else to know she was a girl yet. In Konoha, unless you were as strong as Tsunade, people would always look down on you. Being seen as a boy might get her bullied, but it would also give her a chance to meet Konoha's up-and-coming young shinobi.

Being a girl imposed far too many restrictions. It felt like a burden. She wanted to live freely, not be protected just because she was a girl.

The two of them walked along the Konoha River, crushing sunlight beneath their feet. Naruto followed behind Hui Youling. Seeing how happy she looked, he couldn't help asking, "Hui, why don't you want people to know you're a girl?"

Hui Youling glanced sideways at him. "Naruto, I'll never be weak forever. I won't let anyone bully me, and I won't let anyone bully you either!"

For some reason, Naruto's heart clenched painfully. He stopped and lowered his head.

Hui Youling seemed to notice. She stopped too and looked at the Konoha River. "I can understand how you feel. It isn't your fault, is it?"

She turned around and looked Naruto in the eyes, her gaze serious. "Naruto, you shouldn't have to stay lonely forever or lose your faith in yourself. I'll be your first ray of light and guide you toward a brighter future. I'll take good care of you."

"I don't want you to be shunned and hated by everyone else, and I don't want you living in darkness. You aren't a firefly who can find the way out on your own, but I can..." Her eyes rested on Naruto, filled with sincerity and trust.

"Because I'm in the darkness too, and I know how precious light is. I can be your firefly and light your way."

Those words were like a vow. They were engraved in Naruto's mind and buried in his heart, never to be forgotten.

He wouldn't let that sincerity go to waste either. Maybe at first he'd resist, but he simply believed she would keep her promise.

The shops gradually began opening. Hui Youling and Naruto walked down the street together, and the people around them looked at them with confusion—but more than anything, with hatred.

They glared at Hui Youling. Someone was walking alongside a monster. That meant she deserved to be shunned too.

Hui Youling ignored their looks completely. But before they'd even reached the shop, the owner shouted sharply, "Get lost!"

The shopkeeper's hateful look startled Hui Youling. She gave a cold laugh.

They hate him that much? That's far worse than I expected. This is going to be trouble.

Naruto anxiously tugged at her. "Sorry, let's go. We don't have to buy anything. These people never sell me anything." His voice held a pain he couldn't put into words.

Hui Youling turned to look at him. What could a three-year-old really do?

She always thought that way. She couldn't do anything, and she had to rely on other people just to survive.

She'd wondered what a genius like Itachi's life had been like when he was three.

Had he already had the mind of a six-year-old?

Lots of children were still asking their parents for affection at three.

What could she do when she was three?

She couldn't remember. Even now, she didn't know how to seek affection. More importantly, she had to take care of Naruto.

This idiot—an idiot who learned to read people's expressions at just three years old...

"I understand," Hui Youling said with a light smile. She led Naruto away from the street, while the people's thorn-like stares followed them.

Hui Youling hadn't been hated that much before. People had given her dirty looks, but they'd never shown their resentment so openly.

"Naruto, come with me somewhere, okay?" Hui Youling asked softly.

Naruto glanced at her and answered quietly, "Okay!"

She took Naruto's hand and disappeared amid the crowd's angry stares. Today, she was going to show them that Naruto wasn't alone. They already hated her anyway, so she didn't care if they hated her even more!

For an instant, Naruto felt the protection of family. Hui Youling had pulled him away without hesitation. Even though he was too young to understand everything, he could tell from the adults' faces what she had done.

In that instant,

he could no longer hear their mockery or see anyone's face.

She was like a firefly, leading him out of that darkness. His lips curved into a smile. He felt truly safe. So safe.

Hui Youling arrived beside the Hokage Building and let go of Naruto's hand.

She looked around. Well, it seemed impossible to meet the Hokage after all. With her tiny frame, she'd probably get wiped out.

Hui Youling sighed helplessly. Was today destined to come to nothing?

"Hui, someone's coming!" Naruto warned her in a low voice, hurriedly taking her hand to leave.

Hui Youling turned toward the person, who watched them with a stiff, cold expression. Realizing the Third Hokage was monitoring them again, she was grateful for his surveillance for the first time. "Let's go!" she said.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and was about to turn away, but then he saw Hui Youling heading in the opposite direction.

"Ah—Hui!"

He chased after her in dismay. Hui Youling said something to the person, then went inside the Hokage Building with him.

"Come on, you idiot Naruto!" she called over her shoulder.

Hui Youling kept her eyes fixed on the crystal ball in the Hokage's hands. Seeing how interested she seemed, the Third Hokage asked, "Hui, do you know what this is?"

She didn't answer his question. Instead, she looked at Naruto and frowned.

Why was he so nervous? He was nothing like the fearless person he'd become later.

Whatever the reason,

she really didn't like it. Could she have changed something?

"Grandpa Third Hokage, Naruto has something to tell you."

Hui Youling changed the subject. Naruto visibly trembled and looked at her in confusion.

Hui Youling narrowed her eyes and turned away. Naruto had meant to object, but suddenly found himself unable to speak.

He steeled himself and said, "Grandpa Third Hokage, we want to buy some things, but those people won't sell them to us..."

The Third Hokage quietly studied them. It was hard not to see what was going on. Hui Youling had indeed changed; he could no longer treat her like a child.

"I understand. I'll send someone to look after you," the Third Hokage said gently.

"No need, Grandpa Third Hokage. The house is small, and those people look down on it too," Hui Youling replied. Her tone was perfectly calm, yet somehow carried a hint of mockery.

The Third Hokage could see the coolness in Hui Youling's eyes. He sighed inwardly. "All right, I'll have someone buy things for you. Write down what you want."

The Third Hokage stopped insisting and offered a compromise.

Having gotten the result she wanted, Hui Youling smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Grandpa Third Hokage!"

"Mm. If that's all, you can go," the Third Hokage instructed.

"Yes!" she answered, obediently leading Naruto away.

Before long, a figure appeared in the Third Hokage's office. He knelt respectfully, wearing a fox mask and a neat, practical shinobi uniform.

"Dusu, I'll have to trouble you to buy things for them," the Third Hokage said awkwardly.

The man below remained silent, not answering.

The Third Hokage looked at him and tried to persuade him. "Dusu, I know you resent the Nine-Tails, but that's just a three-year-old child."

"Lord Third Hokage, may I ask you something?" Dusu finally spoke.

"Go ahead..." The Third Hokage knew he had to resolve Dusu's misgivings first.

Dusu asked coldly, "Is that Hui Youling really three years old?"

"Yes. But she nearly died, and it made her understand some things," the Third Hokage sighed.

"...I understand." Dusu fell silent for a moment, but agreed.