What a Beast

The villagers saw the man whose throat had been slit with a single stroke and went pale with fright. Their feet felt like they had been filled with lead, leaving them unable to move an inch.

They obediently waited where they were, bound by ropes.

Zhengye nodded in satisfaction and crouched beside Naruto.

Naruto was trembling all over, his face covered in blood and dirt. His eyes were red from crying, but he no longer made a sound.

The eyes of a five-year-old child, which should have been full of life, were filled only with numbness and emptiness.

Zhengye's heart sank.

Then an inexplicable rage surged up from his chest.

Fine, fine, fine. Kurama, you really don't give a damn about what I said.

Just you wait.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and reached out to brush the dust from Naruto's head.

"Does it hurt?"

Naruto's gaze focused. The figure he saw was still that person from yesterday—the one who had given him dango.

"Waa..." Naruto let out a cry, threw himself into Zhengye's arms, and burst into tears.

"Thank you... thank you..."

Zhengye gently patted Naruto's back, but he immediately spotted the approaching ANBU in his peripheral vision.

"It's all right now."

He paid them no mind, comforting Naruto first before beckoning to Sasuke and Itachi nearby.

Sasuke hurried over to Naruto and began checking him over.

"Naruto, are you okay?"

Naruto sniffled twice before finally noticing Sasuke.

Looking a little embarrassed, he wiped away his tears and sniffled again.

"Sasuke, wh-why are you here?"

Sasuke's face was full of guilt as he forced out a stiff smile. "Sorry, I didn't save you."

Naruto looked confused. He had no idea Sasuke had arrived earlier and seen him being bullied.

Zhengye seemed to understand what Sasuke was thinking. He stopped Sasuke before he could speak and said,

"We're all from the Konoha Police Force. If anyone bullies you again, shout for help as loudly as you can."

"From now on, we'll all come save you."

Naruto looked at Zhengye with hope in his eyes. "R-really?"

Zhengye nodded, his smile filled with strength.

"Don't worry. The Police Force will protect the safety of every person in Konoha!"

Itachi came over and stood behind Sasuke. The moment he arrived, he apologized.

"Sorry, Senior Zhengye."

Zhengye rubbed Naruto's head before rising to his feet.

He patted Itachi on the shoulder, his expression gentle.

"I'm glad you considered the clan, but I made up my mind about this matter long ago. Just handle things this way from now on."

Itachi looked at the four approaching ANBU and nodded. "Yes, Senior Zhengye. I understand."

By then, the people who had insulted and beaten Naruto had been tied into a row.

Those with broken arms and legs were among them as well.

Moans and pleas for mercy mixed together, making the air on the street so oppressive it was nearly suffocating.

The villagers hiding in the distance were all pale-faced and weak in the knees.

The Uchiha... just as the rumors said, they were all lunatics.

Everyone looked at Uchiha Zhengye with fear and anger.

At that moment, the four ANBU arrived in front of Zhengye. Their masks concealed their expressions.

But their voices carried a hint of caution. "Lord Uchiha Zhengye, you cannot take the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki away."

The captain's eyes were full of admiration as he saluted and reported from the side.

"Lord Zhengye! All the criminals have been arrested!"

"Mm." Zhengye glanced at the ANBU, leaving them hanging as he turned to instruct the captain.

"Tell the judicial division that these people committed violence in the street and provoked trouble."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the wounds on Naruto's face.

"They attacked the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki with the intent of causing a tailed beast rampage. Handle them as traitors to the village!"

"Yes!" The captain saluted once more and had all of them dragged toward the Police Force headquarters.

Those with broken limbs could not walk at all and were dragged across the ground without end, their wails incessant.

Only then did Zhengye turn to the ANBU, a trace of mockery on his face.

"If your ANBU cannot protect Naruto, the Police Force would be more than happy to take him in!"

The ANBU's tone became somewhat flustered. "No! The Police Force cannot take Naruto away!"

"Oh?" A sarcastic smile appeared on Zhengye's face.

"Then if Naruto is beaten into causing the Nine-Tails to run wild, can you ANBU bear the responsibility!?"

Zhengye's tone grew increasingly heavy, immense pressure crashing toward the ANBU like a mountain.

The ANBU took a step back and gritted his teeth.

"That won't happen! Naruto's seal is extremely sturdy. There has never been—"

"Just tell me, can you ANBU take responsibility or not!?" Zhengye waved a hand, cutting him off.

The ANBU was speechless. He did not dare say it...

Although Naruto had never lost control before, what if he did?

"Hiss..." He could not help but shudder.

Five-year-old Naruto did not understand what a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was. Whether the words were put together or taken apart, they were far too difficult for him to understand.

He was a little dazed and did not even know whether they were talking about him.

But soon, something on the ground drew his attention away.

The rice ball he had bought with his money had already been trampled into a large lump of mush.

Naruto's eyes reddened again, and tears pattered down.

I'm going to go hungry again.

Sasuke had never gone hungry before and could not fully understand Naruto's pain.

But seeing Naruto so heartbroken, a look of distress flashed through his eyes.

"Don't cry, Naruto."

Sasuke looked toward Itachi, silently asking whether they could buy Naruto something to eat.

But Itachi looked at Zhengye instead, seeking his opinion with his eyes.

After all, saving Naruto was the Police Force's duty, but getting close to Naruto was another matter entirely.

Zhengye rummaged through his reward inventory.

He took out a Soldier Pill: Recovery (restores stamina, single-use) and stuffed it into Naruto's mouth.

"You look hungry. Eat something first."

Naruto had never eaten a soldier pill before. While his lips were still pursed, a pill was suddenly stuffed into his mouth.

He looked at Zhengye in confusion, but Zhengye had saved him twice now and had already given Naruto a strong sense of security.

"Gulp."

Naruto swallowed the soldier pill. In just a few seconds,

a warm current rose from his stomach, and the belly that had been growling with hunger suddenly felt full.

Rather than giving Naruto money directly, Zhengye rubbed Naruto's head.

He placed the Portable Rations (compressed biscuits)

(restores a small amount of stamina) he had drawn earlier into Naruto's hands.

"This expands a lot when soaked in water. It should keep you going for a while."

Holding the compressed biscuits and looking at Zhengye, Naruto felt warm inside.

"Th-thank you. C-can I know your name?"

"Uchiha Zhengye."

"Remember that name."

A gentle smile hung on Zhengye's face as he looked tenderly at Naruto.

Naruto scratched his head, his face turning slightly red.

"Big Brother Zhengye, thank you."

He nodded hard, as though he wanted to carve that name into his heart.

Sasuke stomped his foot, looking thoroughly upset, as if something that belonged to him had been snatched away.

He bit his lower lip at the side.

Next time I go out, I have to bring my own money.

The ANBU were frozen where they stood, not daring to leave or step forward. Aside from sending one person to notify the Third Hokage,

there was nothing else they could do.

Like a useless husband.

Zhengye patted the dust from Naruto's body. "Go back and wash up first."

"Remember, if anyone hits you again, shout for help. Our Police Force will come save you."

"Mm, I understand." Naruto looked at Zhengye, then turned to say goodbye to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, I'm leaving!"

With both hands in his pockets, Sasuke gave a sullen "Mm."

Naruto did not notice Sasuke's mood. Hugging the compressed biscuits Zhengye had given him, he hurried away.

Seeing that Zhengye had not forcibly kept the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the ANBU also breathed a sigh of relief. One after another, they used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the spot.

Zhengye looked around. The residents who had been watching the spectacle had all retreated far away and did not dare approach.

But a silver-haired man with a broom-like head was still standing at the end of the street.

Kakashi!

He had come over to see what was happening after hearing about the disturbance.

When he saw Zhengye walking toward him, Kakashi instinctively moved aside.

But Zhengye did not let him off. He followed Kakashi and whispered into his ear,

"Oh, so you're not someone who got in through connections."

"You're an ungrateful white-eyed wolf."

Kakashi's steps halted, and he found himself unable to move.

"Minato Namikaze swallowed his pride to secure the Sharingan for you, yet when you saw his son being abused, you did nothing."

"Kakashi, you really are a beast..."

"What a beast..."

"A beast..."

"Beast..."

The unending voice echoed in Kakashi's ears, sending ripple after ripple across the still waters of his heart.

When he came back to himself, Zhengye had already gone far away with Itachi and Sasuke.

He did not even know whether Zhengye had truly said those words just now or used genjutsu on him.

Kakashi's expression shifted from conflicted to guilty, then to lost. He stood there for a long time without moving.

Am I... a beast?