Falling into the Water

Walking home, Hui Youling found that Naruto was nowhere to be found. Although he was mischievous, it was not like him to stay away for this long.

Hui Youling hurried back to the riverbank, and her bad premonition proved true. Several children were surrounding Naruto, punching and kicking him. Naruto's face was already swollen, and blood was trickling from the corner of his eye.

"What are you doing!"

She roared in anger. People had gathered around at some point, watching from a distance, and now they looked at her with annoyance.

Hui Youling looked at the crowd; some were just watching the spectacle, while others wore expressions of approval. She knew there must be Anbu nearby, but why would they intervene? They probably hated Naruto just as much.

Four people were beating Naruto, and he was clearly at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, one of them knew ninjutsu, turning it into a five-on-one beatdown. It was completely one-sided.

Hui Youling gritted her teeth and looked at the river, gauging the depth and the distance to the water. A decision formed in her mind.

She charged forward, shouting, "Hey! You're bullying the weak and ganging up on someone—are you even men?"

Naruto's face was distorted, his eyes squeezed into slits. Hearing Hui Youling's voice, he let out a weak cry.

"Hui..."

He was sprawled on the ground, completely unable to fight back. Hearing Hui Youling's words, the boys' anger flared.

The boy who knew ninjutsu turned to deal with her, his gaze fierce. Seeing Hui Youling rushing at him with a "do or die" momentum, he paused for a second, then reflexively swiped at her.

Hui Youling let out a cry of pain as the blow landed squarely on her chest. Tears welled up from the agony, and she stumbled backward without resistance, falling into the water with a splash.

"Help!" she screamed, struggling in the water.

The boy was completely terrified. He hadn't expected that a single swipe would knock her into the water. If she died, he would be finished!

The group broke into a cold sweat, staring at the water. None of them knew how to swim.

Naruto's pupils dilated. He struggled to get up, only to collapse back to the ground, his subsequent attempts just as pathetic.

Hui Youling was truly gambling with her life. If she didn't end this today, they would continue to bully Naruto. She had targeted the boy who knew ninjutsu, knowing his strength was enough to knock her into the water, praying that someone nearby would save her.

"Someone fell into the water!"

Hui Youling finally heard the shout, but still, no one came to save her. Had their consciences been eaten by dogs? Did they want her to die so blatantly?

Hui Youling felt a surge of fury. "Damn it..."

She hadn't cursed in a long time, but she was really going to die today!

Because it was still morning, the air was cold, and the water was freezing. Soaking her three-year-old body felt like being plunged into ice.

Misery struck again; because she hadn't warmed up before entering the cold water, her legs were likely to cramp.

The reality was not so kind; a sharp pain shot through her right foot, making it impossible to kick.

I'm going to die! Hui Youling sighed inwardly. She sank down, and no matter how she reached upward, no one would pull her out.

Drowsiness crept in at the worst possible moment. She didn't want to die—she absolutely did not want to die.

Many things flashed through her mind, but in the end, only the image of herself, small and pathetic, huddled in a corner remained. A tiny voice seemed to whisper, "Hey, I really do hate this. This rotten Konoha... where is the sunlight? I can't see it at all."

Then, let Konoha turn as dark as her vision...

Hui Youling actually saw her own reflection in the water, her fiery red hair cut to mere centimeters. The surface of the water grew distant, and the red hair blurred along with it.

The water was clear but cold. She felt that suffocating pain again, losing even the strength to struggle in panic.

It seemed Sasuke had once sought death, too. That image remained in her mind; although she couldn't see what she looked like, it was probably much like that...

No, that lake hadn't been this deep, this pitch-black blue. The light was fading, yet there was still no ripple to tell her someone was coming to save her. She could only hear a buzzing in her ears.

"Cough!" A breath escaped her chest, floating up as bubbles. Hui Youling was pushed completely into the abyss. She couldn't grab onto anything, and she wouldn't be as light as those bubbles.

So unwilling...

She closed her eyes. If she were strong enough, she wouldn't have to resort to this. Her body went limp, and she drifted slowly toward the bottom.

Splash! With the sound of someone entering the water, a tall boy swam rapidly toward her, grabbed her hand firmly, and pulled her into his arms, bringing her back to the surface.

"Someone went to save her!"

"It's a boy!"

Splash, splash...

Water sprayed everywhere as the boy and Hui Youling surfaced.

Hui Youling had long since lost consciousness, leaning against the boy. Her face was pale, and her lips had no color at all.

"Pull her up quickly!"

"Be careful!" The crowd scrambled in a chaotic mess to pull them ashore. The boy sent Hui Youling up first, then leaped up himself with a light jump.

People laid Hui Youling flat on the ground. Naruto desperately pushed through the crowd, only to see a beautiful woman telling everyone to give her some space.

She tilted Hui Youling's head back, cleared the obstruction from her mouth, and began performing CPR. The woman's movements were skilled; she must have learned first aid before. Naruto let out a breath of relief, and the crowd watched her, not daring to make a sound.

At this moment, a small boy darted out from the crowd and ran toward the tall boy, grabbing his hand in a panic. The morning was still chilly, and water dripped from the tall boy's hair onto the small boy's face, icy cold.

The small boy looked at the woman, then back at him, his brows furrowed. The tall boy gently ruffled his hair and smiled tenderly, completely unbothered by the fact that he was still soaking wet.

Naruto was burning with anxiety, hating his current self for some reason; he could do nothing, and he could protect nothing.

Hui Youling began to cough violently, spitting out some water, but she had yet to wake. The woman leaned over her chest to listen; the heart had resumed beating, and she let out a long sigh of relief. The expressions of the onlookers shifted slightly. "Take her to the hospital first," the woman said in a clear, ethereal voice.

Just as someone was about to move, an orange-clad figure rushed forward, scooped up Hui Youling, and sprinted toward the hospital regardless of everything else. The woman watched in surprise, not expecting him to be so desperate. Was it because he cared too much?

That look in his eyes was truly like a child terrified of losing a loved one. That boy must be very important to him!

The adults standing there also watched in surprise as Naruto carried Hui away.

"It's Naruto!"

"What is he doing?"

"Taking her to the hospital..." the person said uncertainly.

"He wouldn't try to harm Hui Youling, would he?"

"Anyone around him ends up getting hurt by him!"

Unconsciously, the crowd shifted their anger back onto Naruto. If Hui were here, she would surely demand: wasn't it you people who stood by and refused to save her?

Those who desperately cover up their own faults are no good either!

The woman stood up and walked toward the boy. "Itachi, you're soaked through as well. Hurry home and change your clothes!"

"Brother, you're still dripping water!" Sasuke complained with a childish pout.

Itachi replied indifferently, "Yes, I will head home first, Mother."

Mikoto smiled gently, looking at the two children. "Let's go!" Itachi nodded slightly and followed Mikoto.

The crowd dispersed, people whispering among themselves.

"That's the Uchiha clan..."

"Keep your voice down, that looks like the Uchiha clan head's child."

"That genius!"

"Mm..."

"Ah, he really is extraordinary!" the man remarked with a sigh.

Naruto's mad dash naturally drew the gazes of the people.

"Doctor!" Naruto shouted the moment he burst into the hospital. People looked at Naruto with disgust, only to see him carrying a pale-faced boy.

The doctor hurried over, seeing the situation at a glance.

"Drowning, hurry!"

Several nurses took Hui and brought her into the treatment room. Naruto followed anxiously but was blocked outside.

"It's that person!"

"He didn't kill someone, did he?"

"He should have been kicked out of the village long ago!"

In a blank world, Hui walked alone, looking around at the nothingness. She stopped suddenly, her head hanging low.

She remembered now—what it was she had been searching for!

The world darkened rapidly, swallowing her whole. In her heart, something called hatred began to sprout, along with something called despair.

Those people truly wished for her to die, wished for her to disappear, and she had actually fulfilled their wishes.

It was only the third day; there were still so many things left undone, so many people she hadn't met, and one person still waiting for her. Those fantasies and that pain tore her heart into pieces.

"What is going on? Emergency aid was performed, yet her vital signs are fading!" Several ninja had not expected it to come to this.

"The child is too young, her will to live is too weak!" Another ninja felt completely overwhelmed.

"Use the medicine, force her to wake up!"

The group hurriedly prepared the potion and injected it into Hui Youling's body.

Hui Youling opened her eyes in the pitch-black world. Someone was in front of her, but she couldn't see anything. Her pupils dimmed, then finally, she saw who it was: a figure in black feathered robes, with black feathers constantly drifting by.

She smiled faintly, and the world turned blank, forming a stark contrast to the other side. The two smiled at each other; they were so alike—the resolute, upright posture, the proud smile, everything was so familiar.