Chapter 47: The Unloved Civilians
At first, Kakashi didn't pay much attention to the looks they were getting, assuming it was just the villagers' usual fear of the Jinchuriki. Naruto, on the other hand, was long accustomed to such treatment.
Arriving at a dango stand, Kakashi decided to buy something to fill their stomachs. As they approached, the owner of the stall looked up and immediately spotted Naruto, who seemed hesitant to step forward.
The stall owner's face twisted in disgust as he waved his hands as if shooing away a pest.
"What are you doing here, you demon fox brat? Ugh, no wonder business is bad today!" The owner glared viciously, barking, "Get lost!"
However, when he turned and saw Kakashi's grim expression, he froze in place.
Kakashi remained silent, but a hint of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
Over the years, he had heard rumors about how Naruto was treated by the villagers, but he had always thought it was just fear-driven avoidance because of the Jinchuriki's power. Seeing it firsthand now, he finally realized the truth—Naruto had been enduring outright hostility and maliciousness without any attempt to conceal it.
"Who... who are you?" The dango stall owner was visibly terrified, stumbling backward under the suffocating pressure. Kakashi's mere presence as a veteran ANBU operative exuded an aura far too intimidating for an ordinary civilian.
However, upon noticing Kakashi's forehead protector, the stall owner gathered his courage. In the village, it was a strict rule that shinobi couldn't attack civilians, so he convinced himself he had nothing to fear.
Bolstered by false confidence, he shouted, "Who do you think you are? Are you that demon fox brat's accomplice? What are you planning to do—attack a civilian?"
The commotion attracted the attention of bystanders. Though most of them kept their distance, wary of Kakashi's shinobi status, they began to whisper among themselves.
"Who's that guy?"
"Never seen him around that demon fox brat before."
"Whatever, anyone hanging out with that monster can't be good."
"Shh, lower your voice. He's a shinobi."
"So what if he's a shinobi? He wouldn't dare hit a civilian in the village."
"Hmph, even if that cursed fox brat has a shinobi backing him now, we shouldn't be afraid. The Hokage will support us!"
Hearing the murmurs only made Kakashi's expression darker. This was the son of the Fourth Hokage—the hero who had fought to protect the village during the Nine-Tails attack—yet the villagers treated him this way. Guilt gnawed at Kakashi's heart as he thought about how he had neglected Naruto all these years.
"Let it go, Kakashi-nii," Naruto tugged at Kakashi's sleeve and whispered.
Seeing Naruto's pleading eyes, Kakashi took a deep breath to suppress his anger, but his killing intent still inadvertently surged forth.
The stall owner staggered back, tripping over a chair and landing hard on his backside. Kakashi gave him one last glare before pulling Naruto away, intending to leave.
However, the stall owner, still on the ground, suddenly began wailing loudly.
"Help! Help! The demon fox brat brought a shinobi to attack me! Ninja bullying civilians!"
The loud outburst caused more people to gather, and the bustling weekend crowd at the commercial street soon formed a small mob.
Kakashi glanced at the swelling crowd, his brows furrowing as he pulled Naruto closer. At that moment, a disturbance broke out on the outskirts of the gathering.
"What's going on here? Don't all crowd together! Be careful not to cause a stampede!"
Turning to look, the crowd noticed a squad of the Konoha Police Force making their way through, urging people to clear a path. Kakashi relaxed slightly upon recognizing the leader of the patrol—Uchiha Zaitou.
The patrol officers maintained polite smiles as they dispersed the crowd, while Uchiha Zaitou approached Kakashi and gave a respectful nod before addressing the stall owner still sprawled on the ground.
"What happened here?" Zaitou asked sternly.
"Oh, Officer! You're just in time!" The stall owner scrambled to his feet and began complaining loudly. "Arrest that shinobi! He attacked me, and he's colluding with that demon fox brat! Arrest them both!"
"That's not true! Kakashi-nii didn't hit him!" Naruto couldn't help but shout.
Zaitou glanced at Kakashi. "Did you strike him?"
"No," Kakashi replied concisely.
Nodding, Zaitou turned to the stall owner and asked calmly, "Do you have any evidence to support your claim that he attacked you?"
"I... I fell because of him!" the stall owner stammered, clearly feeling less confident but unwilling to admit defeat.
"Go around and ask the witnesses," Zaitou instructed his team.
The officers dispersed with professional smiles, conducting quick inquiries among the onlookers. Unsurprisingly, no one dared to lie to the Police Force, and the truth quickly became clear.
Zaitou turned back to the stall owner. "Do you have anything else to say?"
"N-no... It was just a misunderstanding," the owner mumbled, clearly defeated.
"Since it was just a misunderstanding, let's discuss your unauthorized occupation of the street," Zaitou said with a faint smile. "The Police Force has warned you countless times not to set up your stall on the roadway. Officers, confiscate the stand and take him to the Police Station."
Upon hearing this, the stall owner started yelling again.
"You can't do this! You're just targeting civilians because you're afraid of the shinobi! I'll complain to the Hokage's office!"
The seasoned Police Force officers remained expressionless, simply standing by as he ranted. Once he had exhausted himself, they calmly dismantled the stall and escorted him away.
With the crowd having dispersed, Zaitou turned to Kakashi and spoke respectfully, "Kakashi-senpai, I have duties to attend to. If anything like this happens again, don't hesitate to reach out to the Police Force."
"I understand. Thank you," Kakashi nodded and expressed his gratitude.
With that, Zaitou led his team away, leaving Kakashi and Naruto to continue their day, though Kakashi couldn't help but feel a renewed determination to protect Naruto from the villagers' unjust treatment.