A startled voice hissed through the darkness. A Root ninja, hidden in the treetops, jerked upright at the sudden appearance of a cloaked figure.
But Naruto ignored him completely.
The air trembled as he vanished in a flash of chakra-enhanced speed, reappearing instantly before the man in black—a masked intruder holding an unconscious Hinata.
Without hesitation, Naruto threw a punch.
"Damn it—Konoha shinobi?!"
The man cursed, hastily drawing a kunai to intercept the attack, hoping to force Naruto to retreat.
Too late.
Naruto's armored fist didn't slow. It crashed straight into the blade, uncaring of its edge. The kunai sparked against the jet-black metal of his gauntlet—a sinister gleam dancing off the armor under the snowy moonlight.
Clang!
The kunai was knocked away, spinning through the air. The masked man staggered back, but Naruto was already upon him again.
His movements were a blur—swift and brutal. It was as if he were teleporting between each step.
"Impossible!"
The man in black barely had time to raise an arm in defense before the next blow came. Naruto's fist slammed into the forearm with a sickening crack.
The arm snapped like a twig. But Naruto didn't stop there.
The punch continued, driving through the man's guard and smashing into his chest. Ribs gave way. The impact echoed like thunder.
The man collapsed to his knees, his eyes wide in disbelief as blood dribbled from his lips. A final wheeze escaped his throat—and then, silence.
The infamous leader of the Cloud Shinobi peace delegation was dead.
Hinata's limp form began to slide from his arms. Naruto caught her gently, cradling her close. Her breathing was faint but steady. She had only passed out.
Naruto exhaled slowly in relief. "You're okay…"
A sudden cry tore through the silence.
"Evil thief, don't hurt my daughter!"
Naruto barely had time to react. A powerful gust of chakra-charged air struck him from behind.
Boom!
He took the hit full force—but didn't budge.
His bedrock armor absorbed the blow entirely, dust scattering around him. The armored plating shimmered faintly, diffusing the Hyuga Gentle Fist energy on impact.
"What kind of armor is this?" hissed a new voice. "Chakra can't penetrate it?!"
Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga clan, stood at the edge of the courtyard, white eyes blazing with fury. He was dressed in a dark yukata, still damp from the chaos of being awakened mid-celebration.
His gaze locked on Naruto, then drifted downward to his unconscious daughter. A flicker of emotion crossed his stoic face—worry—but he masked it quickly.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
More Hyuga shinobi arrived, flanking the courtyard from every direction, weapons drawn, Byakugan activated. The entire clan was mobilizing.
Naruto placed Hinata gently on the ground, stepped away, and stood tall.
He didn't answer Hiashi's question.
Instead, with a shimmer of chakra, he vanished.
Void Teleportation—the bedrock armor's signature escape technique. In less than a heartbeat, he was gone, leaving behind only a faint flicker in the moonlight.
A few blocks away, Naruto reappeared in a quiet alley. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath.
His heart was pounding—but not from fear. From excitement.
He'd done it.
He'd saved Hinata. He'd killed the man who dared harm her. For the first time in his young life, Naruto felt… proud.
A grin spread across his face. "Heh… guess I'm a hero tonight."
He paused, then frowned slightly. Killing wasn't something he should feel good about.
But this man had tried to kidnap Hinata. He wasn't innocent. He deserved it.
Naruto nodded to himself, firm in that belief.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on.
"Maybe I should check how things are going back at the Hyuga compound…"
Back inside the Hyuga estate, Hyuga Hizashi, Hiashi's younger brother, peeled the mask off the corpse.
His expression instantly darkened.
"Big Brother… this man's from Cloud."
Hiashi's jaw clenched. He was already holding Hinata in his arms, and now stared down at the body in disbelief.
"This—this is the leader of the Cloud delegation," he muttered. "He came to our house as a thief? Absurd."
It was unthinkable. The very man who had come to Konoha in the name of peace had tried to abduct his daughter.
"Guard her. Triple the security. Don't let her hear what happened," Hiashi ordered. "She's too young for this burden."
Two branch family members took Hinata gently and disappeared into the house.
Hiashi straightened, his composure returning, though the fire in his eyes remained.
"Come," he said grimly. "We take this man's body to the Hokage. This matter must be resolved at the highest level."
He and a squad of elite Hyuga guards began marching toward the Hokage building, the corpse draped in a sealing scroll.
What had begun as a celebration had turned into a political nightmare.
Meanwhile, Naruto followed from the shadows, completely undetected.
His bedrock armor's anti-reconnaissance system was flawless. Through its scanning function, he could detect every nearby ninja—no matter how hidden, no matter how skilled.
Even Anbu agents, cloaked in silence, shone like beacons through his HUD.
"Whoa… that guy's light is strong… he must be a jonin," Naruto whispered, awestruck. "This thing's amazing."
He weaved through alleys and rooftops, bypassing every watchful eye. Not even the Hyuga's Byakugan could trace him.
He arrived at the Hokage building just as the Hyuga party reached the front gates.
Sarutobi Hiruzen descended the stairs of the Hokage Tower, looking utterly exhausted. Deep lines carved into his face, his once-bright eyes now dulled from sleepless nights.
Only hours earlier, Danzo had demanded an increase in border defenses, fearing a betrayal from the Cloud delegation. The council had erupted into arguments, delaying any decisive action.
And now, this.
"What happened?" Hiruzen asked, his voice heavy.
Hiashi stepped forward. "Lord Hokage, please allow me to explain…"
He detailed the events of the night—from the attempted kidnapping of Hinata to the mysterious armored figure who had intervened. Hiashi had not seen Naruto's face, but his gratitude was clear.
"I believe someone is trying to provoke war," he concluded. "To abduct my daughter, on the eve of a peace treaty? This was no rogue act."
Hiruzen frowned. "You said the attacker is dead?"
"Yes. Killed on the spot by the unknown figure who saved my daughter."
Hiashi signaled to a guard, who unsealed the scroll and revealed the corpse.
Hiruzen stepped forward—and froze.
His eyes widened.
That face… there was no mistaking it.
"This is…" he breathed, nearly dropping his pipe. "This is the chief envoy of the Cloud peace delegation."
The world seemed to tilt.
The peace treaty—set to be signed tomorrow—was shattered.
Hiashi's voice rang out again, sharp and indignant. "Lord Hokage, I demand justice. The Cloud dared to touch the heiress of the Hyuga Clan! They've defiled the treaty with blood. They must answer for this!"
Hiruzen didn't respond right away.
His thoughts were racing. A war now would devastate Konoha. But if they ignored this, they would seem weak. The Hyuga would never forgive such a slight.
Then a voice whispered beside him:
"Lord Hokage… the Cloud delegation is here."
Hiruzen straightened, suddenly tense. "Send them in."
From a nearby rooftop, Naruto crouched, hidden in the shadows.
He watched everything unfold, eyes wide.
He knew now that the man he'd killed wasn't just some grunt.
He was the chief of the Cloud delegation. A top-tier shinobi. A political symbol.
He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I might've caused something… big."
But he didn't regret it. Not one bit.
"If they hadn't come for Hinata, none of this would've happened," he whispered. "If they want war, then it's their fault."
Still, he decided to stay and watch. If Konoha went to war… maybe he could help. In the shadows, just like tonight.
The hero no one saw.
The protector no one thanked.
But one who made a difference.
To be continued…