Everyone began waving around the cash Uchiha Sasuke had brought out and shopping. After all, they were definitely going to have a huge feast later!
Even the usually shy Hyuga Hinata was quite excited at that moment.
She had been to some of her classmates' homes before, and she had also invited them over to her own home...
Of all of them, she liked Ito Hirofumi's house best. After all, Aunt Ito Hanako's cooking was absolutely delicious, and she always got to eat her fill!
There was no helping it. She had no idea why her appetite was so big, but she was almost always left hungry at home...
Now Uchiha Sasuke had brought out so much money for them to spend.
She was definitely going to eat her fill today!!!
And she didn't need to tell her father. Her classmates, who had become good friends over the past few years, often visited one another's homes, and her father had gotten used to it.
The other classmates were in much the same situation as Hinata. After all, they would graduate from the Ninja Academy this year and become real ninjas soon.
So their clans weren't going to restrict their freedom too much, either.
Unfortunately, something unpleasant happened while they were shopping...
Uzumaki Naruto excitedly waved the ten thousand ryo Uchiha Sasuke had handed him and dashed into a barbecue restaurant.
Barbecue was something he'd never even dared to dream of eating before!
But that stuck-up Sasuke had contributed so much money today. Naruto was going to eat his fill of barbecue!
People hadn't wanted to sell him food before because he hadn't had enough money. Now that he had so much, they were sure to sell it to him!
But the next moment...
As soon as Uzumaki Naruto entered the barbecue restaurant,
"Oh my god!!! Why did that damn demon fox brat come in here?!"
"Yeah, yeah! Look at those whiskers on his face. They're disgusting!!!"
"Get away from him! What if he turns into the demon fox and kills us all?"
"Disgusting! He's ruined my appetite!!!"
"Hey! Look at that demon fox brat's hand. Is that a ten-thousand-ryo bill?!"
"It sure looks like it..."
"Hmph! How could a demon fox brat have that much money?! He must have stolen it from somewhere!!!"
"Right! He definitely stole it!!!"
"That damn demon fox brat! Not only does he look weird, he's learned to steal money, too!!!"
"Get out of here, demon fox brat!!!"
"Get out! Get out!!!"
"Hold on! Hand over your money! You dared to steal it, so we'll take good care of it for you!!!"
The villagers insulted Uzumaki Naruto as they surrounded him with ill intentions, all of them staring at the ten thousand ryo in Naruto's hand...
He was just a demon fox brat, after all. The money had to be stolen, so there was nothing wrong with taking it from him!
Uzumaki Naruto was completely panicked...
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm not a demon fox brat! And—and I didn't steal this money! I didn't steal anything!!! I just wanted to buy some barbecue here!!!"
At Naruto's words, everyone in the restaurant burst into raucous laughter. A few villagers were clearly drunk, and they began shoving him violently.
"Now that's hilarious!!! The demon fox brat says he has a name?! What's that, Uzumaki Naruto? You're the demon fox brat!! The demon fox brat everyone hates!!!"
"Exactly! That damn demon fox even says he didn't steal the money?! I say you stole it! Hand it over!!!"
The drunk villagers were no longer satisfied with shoving Naruto. They began kicking and punching him, while also trying to snatch the ten-thousand-ryo bill from his hand.
Naruto was beaten into a corner, but he still clutched the bill tightly to his chest...
The drunk villagers noticed that everyone around them was watching, and they were all incredibly pleased with themselves!
They'd also satisfied their own vanity...
The little group had split up to buy supplies, and only Hyuga Hinata had quietly followed Naruto. When she heard the commotion coming from the barbecue restaurant, she hurried inside!
"Naruto!!! Are you okay?!!!"
Hinata hurriedly pushed aside two drunks who were beating Naruto and helped him to his feet...
A few villagers who weren't drunk noticed Hinata's eyes.
"Those eyes are..."
"That's right, she looks like she's from the Hyuga Clan, doesn't she?!"
"I can't believe someone from the Hyuga Clan would hang around with the demon fox brat..."
"And they seem to be on pretty good terms, too!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
The Hyuga Clan was very well known in Konoha, so the villagers who weren't drunk didn't dare act too outrageously.
Only the drunks would dare call someone a Byakugan monster...
But when the drunks saw that no one else was speaking, they thought their kingly aura had intimidated everyone!
They grew even more smug...
"Hinata... get out of here... Go find Haowen and the others! You'll get beaten here, too... Hurry!"
As he watched Hinata's small figure spread her arms to shield him, Uzumaki Naruto's heart suddenly began racing for some reason!
Naruto was deeply moved, too. He couldn't believe that Hyuga Hinata, who seemed a little strange, was willing to protect him like this.
"Hinata... hurry up and leave me! Go find Haowen and Sasuke!"
"No! I'm not leaving! Even if I get beaten, I'm staying by your side!!!!"
Before you continue