Friends
> "The demon fox shows his true colors! He wants to eat us!"
The moment their leader hit the ground, the remaining two boys lost their courage and trembled.
> "It was his idea to mess with you! We didn't want to! Just take revenge on him and leave us alone!"
Naruto scoffed, stepping forward.
> "Bullying you?"
With swift movements, he grabbed the two boys and shoved them apart, leaving bright red marks on their faces. Their eyes welled with tears as they clutched their cheeks.
The leader, still on the ground, groaned as he sat up, wiping the blood from his nose. Despite his injuries, he forced a smirk.
> "Demon fox… we admit defeat this time. But next time, you won't be so lucky! We'll bring more people and chase you out for good!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
> "Seems like you still don't get it."
He didn't take kindly to brats who picked on others but couldn't handle the consequences. So, he put them in their place.
Minutes later, the boys sat in the snow, their faces swollen and bruised. Sniffling, they wiped their tears and snot-streaked faces. Their previous arrogance had disappeared.
> "Boss Naruto! We were wrong! We shouldn't have messed with you!"
> "Yeah! From now on, you're our boss! We'll listen to whatever you say!"
Naruto sighed, shaking his head.
> "Forget it. Just don't start trouble with me again."
The boys exchanged looks, as if granted amnesty. But as they turned away, their whispering gave them away.
> "That demon fox, we have to—"
Naruto reappeared behind them, resting a hand on each of their shoulders.
> "I said…"
The boys flinched.
> "You're not actually sorry, are you? You're already thinking about how to get back at me."
Cold sweat dripped down their faces. One of them stammered.
> "N-Naruto! We—we'd never call you that…"
Naruto chuckled darkly.
> "I don't mind the title. After all, I am the demon fox… but I'm also Uzumaki Naruto. Just remember, if you come after me again—" He leaned in. "—be ready for the consequences."
The boys didn't wait for another word. They bolted out of the park, too terrified to even glance back.
Naruto dusted off his hands and turned, spotting a girl still sitting in the snow.
Hinata.
Her pale lavender eyes were locked on him with an expression of awe, as if she'd forgotten how to move.
Naruto walked over and held out a hand.
> "Why didn't you fight back?"
To be honest, he hadn't intended to step in. But seeing Hinata getting bullied… it struck a nerve.
He knew she wasn't weak. Those kids wouldn't have stood a chance if she had actually fought back. Not to mention, the Hyuga clan was one of the strongest in the village.
Yet, despite her strength, she let herself be treated like that.
Hinata hesitated before murmuring,
> "My father taught me… not to attack ordinary people. If I use the Gentle Fist, I could really hurt them…"
Naruto frowned.
> "So, you'd rather let them beat you up?"
Hinata lowered her gaze.
> "They'll stop eventually. If I don't resist, they'll get bored and leave…"
Naruto snorted.
> "That's exactly why they keep picking on you. If you fought back, they wouldn't dare."
> "But—"
> "Think about it. If I had just let them do whatever they wanted, I'd still be on the ground getting kicked right now."
Hinata bit her lip, looking uncertain.
> "That's different. If it were you…" Her voice became almost inaudible. "…I'd disobey my father's teachings."
Naruto blinked.
> "What?"
But Hinata's face had turned red, and she quickly looked away.
---
Watching from Afar
Across the road, two familiar figures stood watching the scene unfold.
Akimichi Chouji crunched the last of his potato chips and elbowed his friend.
> "Shikamaru, looks like Naruto didn't need our help to chase those guys off."
Nara Shikamaru yawned.
> "Unexpected. But whatever. I just wanna take a nap now."
Chouji frowned.
> "You're always napping! Should we go talk to him? He's different from what people say in the village. He fights back, but he also protects others."
Shikamaru opened one eye, considering.
> "If we rush in now, it'll seem forced. Let's wait for a better chance."
Chouji shrugged, opening a new bag of chips.
> "You're the smart one. I'll follow your lead."
---
Inside Naruto's Mind
Unbeknownst to Naruto, a pair of sharp red eyes watched everything unfold.
> "Hmph. That Hyuga girl…"
Deep within Naruto's subconscious, the Kyuubi smirked in amusement.
> "I should remember her face. I'll use this to tease him later."
It was rare for the Nine-Tails to enjoy anything inside its cage, but Naruto's flustered reactions? Those were entertaining.
Later that evening, Naruto escorted Hinata back to the Hyuga compound. The guards barely reacted. They were used to the young heiress disappearing and returning with Naruto.
One even bowed.
> "Thank you for bringing the young lady back, Naruto."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
> "They're used to this?"
As he walked home, Kyuubi's voice rumbled in his mind.
> "Kid… what exactly are you thinking right now?"
Naruto grinned.
> "Nothing much. Just thinking… your tails look soft. I bet they'd make a good pillow."
The Kyuubi bristled.
> "WHAT?"
> "Relax, I was joking."
The fox growled.
> "Brat… I swear—"
But Naruto was already tuning him out. His thoughts drifted back to Hinata's quiet words.
> "If it were you, I'd disobey my father's teachings…"
He wasn't sure what that meant.
But for some reason…
It made him feel warm inside.
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