Naruto Uzumaki is a Rogue Ninja

"I'm sorry."

On her way to the store to buy food, Naruto accidentally bumped into a Chunin. Naruto lowered her head and apologized before walking past. However, the words of disgust that came from behind made her clench her fists.

"What bad luck! Just finished a mission and got bumped into by this monster! I don't understand why the Hokage lets her roam freely in the village."

Inside the store, Naruto tried her best to place the groceries on the counter, pulling out crumpled money to pay. The cashier's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn upon seeing that Naruto was the one paying, a stark contrast to how she treated other customers.

Carrying a large bag of groceries, Naruto trudged home. To avoid encountering too many people, she chose a shortcut. Walking down a narrow alley, Naruto saw three boys surrounding a girl. The girl had a pair of unusual white eyes, and the three boys were pointing and mocking her because of them.

Hinata Hyuga...

This scene, isn't this the first meeting between Naruto and Hinata Hyuga from the original story! I didn't expect to run into this while trying to take a shortcut.

Should I intervene or not?

Hinata Hyuga is from the Hyuga Main Family. I don't believe she'd be without anyone accompanying her. Watching Hinata get bullied like this, could she be from the Branch Family?

Thinking about recent events, this should be the part where Neji's father sacrifices himself for the Main Family's twin brothers.

What a careless young lady!

Naruto shrugged and continued walking, seeing the three boys blocking her path.

"Hey, you're in my way!"

"Huh? Why should we move for you!" As soon as the boy spoke, his companion tugged his arm.

"My mom told me never to go near Naruto Uzumaki. She's the embodiment of the Nine-Tails, a monster!"

Even though they spoke in hushed tones, the boy's words clearly reached Naruto's ears.

Putting down her things, Naruto stepped forward and punched the talkative boy in the face. A tooth flew out of his mouth. She turned and struck another boy on the chin. Twisting her body, she kicked the third boy, who hadn't reacted yet, to the ground.

"Get lost!"

The three boys looked at Naruto in fear, helped each other up, and left.

Naruto turned to look at Hinata Hyuga, who stood with her arms crossed, her face full of fear.

"If you don't want to be bullied, then work hard to become stronger." With that, Naruto brushed off imaginary dust from her hands as if she had touched something dirty. She picked up her things from the ground and left.

Hinata Hyuga stared blankly at Naruto's retreating figure, her young face blushing.

The girl with the messy golden hair left a deep impression on Hinata Hyuga, one she couldn't forget for a long time.

Chapter 4: The Nine-Tails Feels a Stomachache (1/2)

Exiting the alley, Naruto saw a boy sitting on another boy's shoulders, happily pointing at a dango shop.

"Brother, I want dango!"

"Okay, whatever Sasuke wants, brother will buy it for him."

Heh~ Brother complex! Heh~! Sister complex!

Naruto watched coldly as the two Uchiha brothers, who seemed deeply affectionate towards each other, walked towards the dango shop. She noticed that Itachi Uchiha was already wearing a forehead protector.

So, Itachi Uchiha didn't have nasolabial folds on his face when he was little!

As if sensing Naruto's gaze, Sasuke Uchiha turned his head to look at Naruto, who was observing him and Itachi. Naruto didn't know what Sasuke was thinking, but he made a funny face at her, sticking out his tongue playfully.

"This kid..."

The corner of Naruto's mouth twitched. She was speechless at the sudden silliness of the lively and cheerful Sasuke.

Returning home, Naruto put all the groceries into the refrigerator and lay down on her bed. She skillfully entered her inner world, found the Nine-Tails's location, and napped while lying on its body.

The Nine-Tails grumbled in dissatisfaction but didn't drive Naruto away.

"Brat, you've had enough!" the Nine-Tails suddenly said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto rubbed against the Nine-Tails, slid off its body, and stood in front of it, looking up into its eyes.

"I mean, you should know that it's because I'm inside you that you're treated this way. Stop coming to me, brat!" The Nine-Tails propped its chin on its hand, looking at Naruto impatiently.

"It has nothing to do with you, Nine-Tails. They, having gone through disaster, are just looking for someone to resent."

"They want me to obey them but don't treat me well. The Will of Fire is nothing but a joke," Naruto said, looking up at the Nine-Tails with a sarcastic smile on her young face.

"Are you saying Konoha deliberately made you a target for the villagers' hatred?" the Nine-Tails asked, looking at Naruto with interest.

"That's right. To stabilize public sentiment, they didn't need the hero's son who imprisoned the Nine-Tails in his own body, but a so-called monster, the embodiment of the Nine-Tails, for them to hate. ☆☆"

"Nine-Tails, in a few more years, when I have the ability to leave Konoha, I will grant you your freedom." Naruto's young face held complete confidence as she extended her small, clenched fist.

"Hahaha! You're the first person to say you'll give me freedom. I'll be waiting to see! Naruto!" The Nine-Tails paused, then laughed heartily, extending a finger to touch Naruto's small fist. Red chakra spread out like ripples.

"What is this...?"

Naruto could feel a new power within her. Since she had never refined chakra before, there was no chakra within her. This chakra could only be the Nine-Tails'.

"Why?"

"I don't want you to die before you fulfill your promise to me. Live well, get stronger! And then fulfill your promise," the Nine-Tails said with a smile, revealing its sharp teeth.

Looking at the Nine-Tails's almost ferocious smile, Naruto felt no fear. Instead, she felt a warmth from the bottom of her heart. Her heart, long since chilled by Konoha, began to warm up.

"Yeah, I won't die easily! If I die, it'll be because you ate me!"

Naruto nodded solemnly, smiling brilliantly like a ray of sunshine illuminating the cold, damp place.

This cold, damp place, like a sewer, was where the Nine-Tails resided.

Five-year-old Naruto had grown considerably, but only her messy golden hair remained unchanged. Her deep blue eyes were unfathomable, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Naruto lay on the Nine-Tails' head, rolling around out of boredom. The Nine-Tails' mouth twitched with a rather helpless expression. Naruto lazily squinted and patted the Nine-Tails' head.

"Nine-Tails, do you know how to refine chakra?"

"It's too early to refine chakra at your age, it's not beneficial for your body." As a Tailed Beast who had lived for countless years, it naturally knew how humans refined chakra. However, the Nine-Tails didn't want to tell Naruto. With her current malnourished body, if it weren't for the Uzumaki bloodline supporting her, Naruto would have been hospitalized long ago due to malnutrition.

"I want to grow up quickly!" Naruto lowered her head, her blue eyes instantly turning blood red with vertical pupils. "I can't wait to kill those ignorant fools anymore! My idiotic father used my body to protect them! And yet they treat me like this!"

"I. I've been trying! Trying! To suppress the urge to kill them!" Red chakra surged out from Naruto's body like an outer garment, enveloping her.

Suddenly, the Nine-Tails' tail wrapped around Naruto. All the red chakra that had surged from Naruto's body was absorbed. After her blood-red eyes returned to normal, Naruto panted heavily, lying on the Nine-Tails' head.