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Hyūga Hinata turned her head but saw no sign of her guard, Hyūga Tokuma—only endless snowfall.
She had gotten lost again.
Ever since Sasame had saved her that day, she couldn't stop thinking about him, longing to see him once more and ask for his name.
"To…kuma?"
Hinata called out softly.
Earlier, she had tried retracing her steps to the small grove where she'd met Sasame, unafraid at the time.
But now, alone in the vast white emptiness, panic began creeping in.
"Hey, you freak with the white eyes! Stay right there!"
A voice snapped her out of her thoughts, dredging up unpleasant memories.
She froze.
Three tall boys loomed in front of her.
"Heard you made Kekyuu and his friends cry? Disgusting eyes you got there."
The boy in the middle shoved her.
Hinata stumbled and fell onto the snow.
"Pfft—HAHAHA!"
The boy burst into laughter. "Pathetic!"
Kekyuu and his friends, traumatized by Sasame's lesson and unaware of his identity, had never mentioned him.
So these three, their so-called "friends," had taken it upon themselves to avenge them after hearing they'd been beaten by Hinata.
Bullying.
In her past life, it had been rampant—even a princess wasn't spared.
In this shinobi world, Hinata's suffering made a twisted kind of sense.
"Stop it!"
"Huh?"
The boy turned to see a small, blond kid in a red scarf, glaring at him.
"The name's Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage!"
"Future what? You some kinda idiot?"
The boy snorted at Naruto's dead-serious declaration.
"Bastard!"
Naruto lunged—only to eat a fist to the face.
His nose erupted with blood, his cheek swelling instantly.
"Future Hokage my ass. Who wears a red scarf to look cool anyway?"
The trio yanked off Naruto's scarf, swinging it mockingly like a jump rope.
Hinata's hopeful expression shattered, her face paling further.
No harm without comparison.
She was grateful for Naruto's bravery.
But seeing him get instantly wrecked only made her think of him—the strong, cool Sasame.
The contrast couldn't have been starker.
Suiton: Mizu no Muchi!
A whip-like crack split the air—followed seconds later by howls of pain.
Hinata flinched, then brightened.
It's him. Again.
Sasame found the whole thing ridiculous.
Hinata had managed to get lost and bullied twice.
Now Naruto was thrown into the mix.
And these brats?
They were dancing on hell's doorstep.
Given Hinata and Naruto's statuses, they could've killed these kids without repercussions.
Thankfully, the Wheel of Fate stayed silent.
No risk of Hinata being "stolen" either.
He helped Naruto up, handing him the ruined scarf.
"Can you walk?"
This was a golden opportunity to connect with the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
But Naruto's reaction wasn't what he expected.
The boy stared at him with wary confusion, clutching the scarf. Without a word, he stumbled away.
Naruto was used to fear and rejection—no one helped the "demon fox."
He assumed Sasame just didn't know yet. Once he did, his kindness would vanish.
Better to leave before that happened.
"Hinata, where's your guard?"
Sasame turned to the scarf-bundled girl, amused. "Lost again?"
Two seconds later, her face burned crimson—then she swayed dangerously.
"Let's get you home."
As much as he wanted to have a heart-to-heart with Naruto, Hinata's affection was already maxed out.
This chance with the jinchūriki couldn't be wasted.
A quick glance confirmed Naruto's path—if he hurried, he could still catch up.
"Your name is—?"
Hinata's question died as Sasame scooped her up, dashing toward the Hyūga compound.
The sensation of his breath against the cold air short-circuited her brain. She fainted.
Three minutes later, they reached the Hyūga gates.
"Hinata? Wake up."
He set her down, giving her a gentle shake.
She stirred, blinking dazedly.
Sasame exhaled in relief. "You're home. No more getting lost, okay? See you next time."
A shunshin—and he vanished.
"Eh?!"
Hinata whirled around, searching futilely before drooping like a wilted flower.
Still didn't get his name...
Sasame caught up to Naruto near the hot springs district.
(No, the kid hadn't met Jiraiya yet—no peeping.)
He was just shopping.
Despite the beating, Naruto's freakish healing had already kicked in by the time he reached the market.
"Old man, gimme nine cups of ramen!"
"You again?"
The shopkeeper scowled. "I told you—I'm not selling to you! Get lost before someone sees you here!"
Last time, out of pity, he'd sold Naruto instant noodles.
The backlash had been instant—his neighbors shunned him.
When the entire village brands a child a monster, compassion withers.
Helping him meant becoming an outcast.
Faced with that choice, even a three-year-old could be sacrificed.
Whether Naruto was the fox didn't matter anymore.
This was mob mentality in action.
Naruto's grin faltered, his eyes dimming.
Why does everyone hate me?
What did I do wrong?
I'm not a fox! I'm human!
"One box of ramen, please."
A familiar voice made Naruto look up.
It was him—the guy who'd saved him earlier.
"Right away!"
The shopkeeper's demeanor flipped instantly, all smiles.
Sasame paid, then asked for an extra bag—filling it with nine cups of ramen.
"That'll be 300 ryō."
"Huh?"
Naruto pointed at himself. "M-me?"
"Yep. You wanted ramen, right? I'm selling it to you."
Sasame plucked the coins from his hand, swapping them for the bag. "Buy low, sell high—profit of 30 ryō. Not bad."
Naruto just stared.
Then, gritting his teeth:
"I'm the demon fox everyone hates. Aren't you scared?"
"Kid, you couldn't scare a mouse." Sasame smirked. "Besides, I specialize in handling foxes."
(His Wood Release did hard-counter the Nine-Tails.
So technically, he wasn't lying.)
"Come on. I know a place that'll sell to you."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 60 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 20 power stones I will publish the next chapter.