Naruto stopped to watch, making the little girl so self-conscious that she felt embarrassed.
"What are you looking at?" The little girl puffed up angrily, her chest trembling.
"Something's wrong. Is that how you train ninjutsu? Your method is wrong."
The little girl froze for a moment and asked, "Who exactly are you?"
"The strongest man in Konoha Village, Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage."
"Really?" The little girl glanced at Naruto. She thought he was only a few years older than her, yet he dared to pose as some powerful expert in front of her.
"I really can't tell."
Naruto snapped, "That's because you're too weak—so weak that you can't tell who's strong."
"What did you say?"
Just as Naruto and the little girl were at each other's throats, an old man emerged.
"This must be the ninja from Konoha. I am Tonbee."
"Just call me Naruto Uzumaki."
"We never requested aid from Konoha. Why has a Konoha ninja come to the Earth Spider Clan's territory?"
"..."
Naruto answered foolishly, "I just happened to be passing through."
"Please, let us talk inside."
Naruto and Tonbee entered the house, while the others brought out tea and snacks.
Tonbee got straight to the point. "I heard from the other attendants that you dealt with more than twenty criminals in a very short time."
"That was nothing. They were just a bunch of extremely weak opponents."
"May I ask what position Lord Naruto Uzumaki holds in Konoha?"
"I'm only a Jonin for now. In the future, I'll become Hokage."
"Could it be that Lord Naruto has taken a liking to our young lady, Hotaru?"
"Eh?" Naruto was startled.
"The girl training in the courtyard earlier was Hotaru, granddaughter of En no Gyoja of the Earth Spider Clan."
Naruto wore an awkward smile. *That