Naruto

At the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, Tenten finished packing up three portions of ramen. Without saying another word to Tianyun Hyuga, she rolled her eyes at him and left.

Tianyun Hyuga sighed at how feisty the little girl was, then sat waiting for his lunch to arrive so he could enjoy the ramen from Konoha's best ramen shop.

The ramen at Ichiraku Ramen really was good. Every strand of noodle had a satisfying chew, and the broth was rich and delicious. Tianyun Hyuga drank every last drop before setting down his bowl in satisfaction and leaving the shop, thoroughly content.

With lunch out of the way, it was still only ten past one. After some thought, Tianyun Hyuga decided to wander around Konoha and head home at five. It would give him a chance to familiarize himself with the village.

Konoha was surrounded by an enormous forest, making it a very pleasant place to live. A massive protective formation also encircled the village, ensuring its safety.

As Tianyun Hyuga wandered around Konoha, he drew quite a few looks from passersby because of his Byakugan, which was famous throughout the village. Some ordinary residents did not dare greet him, while the ninja simply wanted nothing to do with him, lest they invite trouble.

Konoha was enormous, and Tianyun Hyuga could not possibly explore the whole village. He only strolled through a few bustling streets before returning to rest in an open area near the entrance to Konoha Academy.

The open area by the school entrance was where parents waited when they came to pick up their children from the Ninja Academy. It was a little past four when Tianyun Hyuga arrived, and some parents were already there, waiting for school to let out.

When Tianyun Hyuga came over to rest, the parents all turned to stare at him.

The Hyuga Clan was a prestigious family. Although Tianyun Hyuga was still young, he attracted plenty of attention. Most of the parents there were the wives of ordinary ninja, whose standing was worlds apart from that of the Hyuga Clan. Naturally, they looked at him with envy.

Tianyun Hyuga had no interest in those women. He picked a spot beneath a large tree and sat down, intending to close his eyes and rest until his mother came to take him home. But just as he was about to shut his eyes, he spotted the legendary protagonist behind a nearby tree, gazing enviously at the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Tianyun Hyuga's eyes shifted as an excellent idea suddenly came to him. He waved to Naruto Uzumaki, who was hiding behind the distant tree, beckoning him over three times in a row.

As usual, Naruto Uzumaki had come to the entrance of the Konoha Ninja Academy when classes were ending, watching enviously as its students were picked up by their parents and played with their friends.

When he first saw Tianyun Hyuga waving at him, he assumed the boy was waving to someone behind him. He knew all too well how unwelcome he was in Konoha.

Only after Tianyun Hyuga waved at him twice more, beckoning him over, did he realize that the boy really was calling him.

Naruto Uzumaki was overjoyed. This was the first time anyone had approached him of their own accord. Although the boy looked a little younger than him and seemed to belong to the Hyuga Clan, Naruto did not care about his background or the disgusted looks from the parents waiting for their children. He eagerly scampered over to the tree and asked the seated Tianyun Hyuga, "What did you want me for? Do you want to play with me?"

Tianyun Hyuga glanced at the excited Naruto Uzumaki and said flatly, "I'm Tianyun Hyuga, the strongest fighter at the Konoha Ninja Academy. Why would I play with a little brat like you? I called you over to run an errand. Go buy me an ice cream."

"That's impossible! How could you be the strongest fighter at the Ninja Academy...?" Naruto Uzumaki stared at Tianyun Hyuga in shock, completely missing the latter half of what he had said.

Tianyun Hyuga curled his lip. "Just ask around and you'll find out. I, Tianyun Hyuga, don't lie. Hurry up and buy me an ice cream. Once the students get out of class, I won't be in the mood for it anymore..."

"Uh..." Naruto Uzumaki was at a loss for words. Glancing at Tianyun Hyuga as he sat there resting, he said, "You haven't given me any money yet. What am I supposed to buy it with? I don't have that much money..."

Tianyun Hyuga glared at him. "I'm giving you a chance to be my underling, and you actually dare ask your boss for money? What would that do to my dignity?"

Naruto Uzumaki froze again. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said with great reluctance, "Fine, I'll buy it for you. But you have to accept me as your underling, and when you go out to play from now on, you have to take me along..."

Tianyun Hyuga nodded in satisfaction. "That's doable. But when the boss goes out, the underling pays. Do you have that much money?"

Naruto Uzumaki wanted to cry. Of all the people he could have met, he had run into someone like Tianyun Hyuga. It looked as though his wallet would only get thinner and thinner.

Even so, Naruto Uzumaki did not want to lose the friend he had just made. He had not seen the disgust in Tianyun Hyuga's eyes that everyone else showed him, which meant the boy was not deceiving him.

"Okay, I agree. I'll go buy you an ice cream right now..." Torn between reluctance and excitement, Naruto Uzumaki ran off.

Once Naruto Uzumaki left, Tianyun Hyuga resumed his grown-up demeanor. He glanced at the young married women who were idly staring at them, then simply leaned against the tree and closed his eyes to rest.

To be honest, the women in Konoha were quite attractive. Ninja earned good salaries, so beautiful women throughout the Land of Fire were willing to marry them. That way, they would never have to worry about food or clothing, and having a ninja husband offered some protection in these chaotic times. As a result, beautiful women from all over the Land of Fire flocked to Konoha.

Besides, women also wanted their children to succeed. In a world dominated by the nobility, commoners had little chance of becoming nobles. Becoming a ninja was their only real chance of attaining a higher status.

Tianyun Hyuga naturally had little interest in Konoha's women. His concern was how to improve his strength and achieve his goal of becoming the strongest in the world, so he could return and reunite with his wives.

After he had rested beneath the tree for about seven minutes, Naruto Uzumaki eagerly scampered back to him. Holding out an ice cream as though presenting a treasure, he said, "Boss, how's this? I bought the ice cream. Do you accept me as your underling now?"

Tianyun Hyuga did not take the ice cream. With a satisfied expression, he merely said, "Since you're so devoted, I'll accept you as my underling! Eat that ice cream yourself. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving first."

"Boss, you're so good to me..." Naruto Uzumaki withdrew the ice cream, feeling touched. Once he finished speaking, he could not resist taking a lick.

But before Naruto Uzumaki could finish basking in his gratitude, he was left speechless by what happened next. Tianyun Hyuga had only just stood up when a woman appeared out of nowhere, grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him away, scolding him the entire time.

Naruto Uzumaki glanced at his ice cream and realized, rather speechlessly, that Tianyun Hyuga had not turned it down because he did not want it. His mother had arrived, leaving him no chance to eat it.

At a loss for words, Naruto Uzumaki looked at the ice cream, which was already beginning to melt, and hurriedly finished it in a few bites. Then he gazed enviously at Tianyun Hyuga being dragged away by the ear, because he wished someone would grab his ear and scold him, too.