I Am the Demon Fox
After a month, Naruto got the chance to go out again.
Humming a little tune, Naruto ignored the villagers around him and walked freely through the streets.
Although the Third Hokage had issued a decree forbidding the villagers from mentioning the word "demon fox" in front of him, it did little to change their view of him or stop them from distancing themselves. In fact, to some extent, the Third Hokage's order only made things worse, as it further alienated Naruto from the villagers.
But none of this mattered to Naruto. He had always been empathetic, treating others the same way they treated him.
Feeling the waves of malice radiating around him, Kurama (the Nine-Tails Fox) smiled wickedly.
"Kid," he said, his voice filled with malice, "it seems your Hokage grandfather can't change the situation you're facing. The hatred from these humans is stronger than it was a month ago."
"Why don't you accept my chakra? I can kill them for you, leaving them to drown in regret."
Naruto ignored Kurama's whisper and continued his walk, determined to buy some condiments to improve the bland food the Third Hokage had given him. The remaining money would go toward buying books to help him better understand the world.
Entering the store, Naruto once again saw the merchant who had sold him expired food during a previous holiday. The merchant was busy ushering out the last customer when he saw Naruto and immediately put on a cold expression.
"Kid, why are you back again?" the merchant grumbled. "Let me tell you, the price of rice has gone up, and you'll have to pay double this time."
Naruto gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm not here to complain about the expired food you sold me," he said, his tone icy. "I just need some condiments and non-staple food. If you refuse to sell to me, I'll tell everyone that your shop is cursed by the 'demon fox' and everything you sell is tainted with bad luck."
"The curse of the demon fox...?" The merchant gasped, realizing he'd said the wrong thing. Quickly covering his mouth, he glanced nervously at Naruto.
He knew that if Naruto spread the rumor, his business would likely suffer. After a moment of hesitation, he looked around to make sure no one was watching, then grabbed some condiments from the shelf, bagged them, and handed them over to Naruto.
"I'm unlucky to have met a brat like you," the merchant muttered, urging Naruto to leave.
Naruto took the bag, placed the money on the counter, and then stood by the door, shouting, "Don't buy anything from this store! It's cursed by the demon fox!"
The merchant's expression shifted between shock and anger. He rushed to the door to try to explain, but by the time he reached it, Naruto was already gone.
Carrying the bag of condiments, Naruto ran down the street. When he reached a quiet alley, he stopped to rest, clutching his stomach.
At this moment, Kurama spoke again, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Kid, the ill will from that merchant isn't as bad as the malice from the rest of the villagers. He's just angry because you disturbed his business."
"I know he's just a profiteer, and other people won't even sell to me," Naruto replied. "But that doesn't mean it's right for him to take advantage of me and sell me overpriced, expired food."
"And I'm just getting a little revenge," he continued. "In the next few days, his business will probably drop."
After resting for a while, Naruto stood up and continued wandering the streets, looking for his next target. Unlike the Naruto from the original story, this version was more vengeful.
After repeating this tactic several times, Naruto had accumulated quite a few "trophies" — items he had collected from various merchants.
Kurama, watching the events unfold, tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You brat, I didn't know you were such a grudge-holder, using the Hokage's decree to take revenge on these villagers."
Naruto, in a surprisingly good mood, smiled. "I've always believed in repaying kindness with kindness and repaying grievance with grievance."
Kurama snorted. "You're making it worse for yourself. Your image in their eyes will be even worse now. You'll find yourself in even more difficult situations than before."
Naruto turned to look at Kurama, a half-smile on his face. "Did they accept me when I tried smiling at them? Since they refuse to change, I'll have to follow my own path."
Kurama tapped his nails on the ground, intrigued by Naruto's attitude.
After taking his revenge on the villagers, Naruto decided to head into the wilderness. He had always preferred the sparsely populated forests to the busy streets of Konoha.
Beneath the tall trees, mushrooms and wild vegetables were abundant, and various fish and shrimp swam in the nearby stream. Naruto had plans to fish and collect some flowers and white poles, preparing for his next meeting with the Third Hokage. After all, poison couldn't kill him, and the strongest Hokage — who shared the Uzumaki clan's powerful physique — could survive it too. At worst, they'd both feel a little discomfort in their stomachs.
As he passed by a park, Naruto suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked into the depths of the area.
"White-eyed youkai... White-eyed youkai... You are the white-eyed youkai!" Three boys around Naruto's age were mocking a girl. She knelt on the ground, her head lowered in defeat.
After tiring themselves out with their insults, the boys left, laughing. One of them called out, "So, you're not just a white-eyed monster, but also a crybaby. No wonder no one plays with you. What else do you do besides cry?"
One of the boys grabbed a handful of snow from the ground and approached the girl. "Your eyes are so ugly. What would happen if I stuffed this snow in your eyes? Want to try it?"
Hearing this, the girl, Hinata, recoiled in fear, her body trembling as she backed away.
Kurama's voice sounded in Naruto's mind. "Isn't that the girl you helped last time? What, you're not going to help her again?"
Naruto stood motionless, not showing any intention of intervening.
Kurama, confused by Naruto's reaction, wondered what he was thinking and what he would do next.
At that moment, two other boys spotted Naruto and shouted, "Look! It's the demon fox! The demon fox has come to help the white-eyed monster! They must be working together to destroy the village!"
Their loud cries attracted the attention of both Hinata and the other boys. The boy holding the snow lowered his hand and moved closer to his friends, while Hinata's eyes filled with hope.
As the three boys gathered together, they seemed emboldened. With renewed courage, they approached Naruto, ready to confront him.
"The adults are scared of you, demon fox, but we're not. We'll become ninjas and protect the village. We'll chase you away now!"
With that, the lead boy walked up to Naruto and raised his fist.
A moment later, with a loud crash, the boy was sent flying to the ground. Naruto's face twisted into a wicked smile as he slowly advanced on the other two.
"I heard you called me a demon fox," he said, his voice cold. "And you still want to drive me away?"
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