Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Hinata

Ueno Kei shook his head, casting those stray thoughts out of his mind.

He then set off, continuing to wander through Konoha Village. Having abandoned his initial aimless state, he began consciously seeking out the locations of essential landmarks, such as the Ninja Academy he would soon attend, or necessary facilities like the hospital and the public bathhouse.

What felt slightly familiar to Ueno Kei was finding a shop called Ichiraku Ramen within the village, which piqued his curiosity.

After all, in his previous life, he had a particular fondness for ramen. "I can come here for dinner," Ueno Kei thought, stroking his chin with the air of an adult.

Several passersby, clearly dressed as housewives, caught sight of his adult-like gesture and couldn't help but smile.

In the eyes of those housewives, Ueno Kei was an undeniably adorable little boy.

That particular action of his did indeed look quite endearing.

When Ueno Kei noticed the gazes around him, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face, and he immediately quickened his pace to leave the area.

Konoha truly lived up to its name; it was filled with lush greenery everywhere.

Towering trees, over ten meters high, could be seen rising from the ground in every direction. Sunlight filtered through the foliage, casting dappled light onto the forest paths of Konoha and adding to the sense of vitality. Bathed in this sunlight, Ueno Kei felt as if he had been reborn.

Once Ueno Kei had passed by the Hokage Rock and the Hokage Office Building—those iconic landmarks of Konoha—he decided it was time to head home.

He slowed his pace, walking toward his residence.

Just then, a clamor erupted from the woods beside the path, causing Ueno Kei to stop. He frowned slightly, but after a moment of hesitation, he decided to ignore it.

After all, he was a newcomer who had just arrived in Konoha Village; he had no roots and absolutely no abilities. Meddling in other people's business would only invite trouble.

That wouldn't be a good thing for him. With that thought, Ueno Kei resumed his walk, ready to leave. Just then, the noise grew louder, accompanied by the sound of a girl crying, as well as even louder insults and mocking laughter.

Ueno Kei's expression shifted. Memories of the companions and the neighbor's girl from his old village surfaced in his mind, and he sighed.

I'll go take a look. If... Ueno Kei thought to himself, then turned and ran toward the source of the noise.

Before long, as Ueno Kei drew closer, the sounds became clearer, and the girl's sobbing felt as if it were right beside him.

Ueno Kei slowed his footsteps, trying his best to remain silent. He parted the leaves in front of him and peered through. Before him were five children, all appearing to be around his own age—four boys and one girl. The one crying was the girl, whose eyes were a stark, milky white, much like the cataracts he had seen in his past life.

She was incredibly delicate, or rather, cute. The other three boys were currently beating up another boy—a child with blond hair and six whisker-like marks on his face.

The three boys jeered as they struck him: "Monster, that'll teach you to meddle!"

"Go to hell, freak."

"Haha, he's just like trash."

The blond boy clutched his head with both hands. Every time he tried to stand up and fight back, the three boys would ruthlessly pin him to the ground. Seeing this, Ueno Kei suddenly felt that Konoha's education system must truly have some issues.

Was this kind of behavior really acceptable?

While Ueno Kei didn't consider himself a cold or heartless person, he wasn't exactly a saint either. Still, the scene before him was something he couldn't tolerate.

If someone were provoked and fought back, that would be understandable, but this was clearly just malicious bullying by three boys. Ueno Kei sighed softly. Although he had resolved not to meddle—after all, he wasn't exactly a hero—he wasn't so cold-blooded that he could ignore it entirely. When it didn't pose a direct threat to his own safety, he was more than happy to help others.

"Mister! Come quickly! Over here, someone is fighting, they're bullying someone!"

Suddenly, Ueno Kei shouted at the top of his lungs, stomping his feet hard against the ground to mimic the sound of someone approaching.

The three boys beating the blond child were startled by Ueno Kei's voice. Their faces filled with suspicion and fear as they looked around; after all, what they were doing was certainly not something they wanted to be caught at.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps seemed to grow louder and closer.

The leader of the boys didn't even think twice. He signaled the other two, and they immediately abandoned the blond boy and the girl, sprinting off in the opposite direction.

Seeing that he had scared the three thugs away, Ueno Kei parted the branches and stepped out. When Ueno Kei had shouted, the girl seemed startled as well, stopping her tears.

She stared blankly at Ueno Kei as he appeared before her.

Ueno Kei ignored the girl—it was clear she had only been crying and hadn't been physically harmed—and quickly moved to the side of the blond boy lying on the ground. He checked the boy's injuries; they were just scrapes and bruises. It seemed he had simply passed out, likely from a heavy blow to the head during the beating. Other than that, there were no major wounds.

It made sense; fights between children were common, and usually, they wouldn't cause serious consequences unless a vital spot was hit. However, the way those three boys had treated the blond child—like an animal, without any sign of stopping—was what had made Ueno Kei feel he had to intervene. Seeing that the blond boy had no life-threatening injuries, Ueno Kei breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to look at the girl, preparing to ask a question.

Just then, a young man suddenly appeared beside the girl. With a nervous expression, he asked, "Lady Hinata, are you alright? Lord Hiashi is very worried about you. We should head back immediately."

Ueno Kei watched the man appear, his pupils constricting. He hadn't felt a thing—not even the slightest trace of presence—when the man arrived.

It was as if he had appeared out of thin air.

A ninja. The thought flashed through Ueno Kei's mind. There was no doubt that this young man was a ninja; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have arrived without Ueno Kei sensing anything.

Moreover, the young man's eyes were also a stark, milky white, suggesting he belonged to the same clan as the girl.

Hyuga? Hearing the man's words, Ueno Kei's expression remained unchanged, but his mind raced. It must be one of the ninja clans in Konoha.

"But, over there..." the girl said timidly, pointing toward Ueno Kei.

The man turned his head indifferently and swept a glance at Ueno Kei. Finding nothing unusual, his gaze flickered over the blond boy lying on the ground, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

He immediately grabbed the girl's hand and said, "Lady Hinata, stay away from that Gold Child in the future. He is nothing but a disaster."

Without waiting for the girl to respond, he pulled her away, ignoring her protests.

Ueno Kei watched the two figures retreat into the distance, then turned his gaze back to the unconscious blond child, a thoughtful look crossing his eyes. It seems this kid's identity is a bit special, huh?

Perhaps? Ueno Kei thought, feeling somewhat uncertain. And given that reaction, this "Gold Child" clearly wasn't popular in the village. Regardless of the reason, would it be a bad idea for him to get involved?

Ueno Kei hesitated. Sigh. Suddenly, he let out a breath. It might be irrational, but for some reason, Ueno Kei felt a strange sense of affinity toward this Gold Child. Whatever, let's just do it.

Without further hesitation, Ueno Kei reached out his hand toward the blond child.

At that moment, Ueno Kei had no idea that the boy before him would eventually become an incredibly important presence in his own life.