Chapter 33: Assassination

After a lively training session among the little trio, the sun began to set, signaling the time for each to return to their homes.

Sasuke was the first to leave. After several failed attempts to replicate Naruto's techniques, he could only throw out what he thought was a cutting remark: "This training ground doesn't suit me. I'll go home and study it properly. Next time, I won't lose to you!" With that, he swiftly dashed away.

Naruto suspected he was off to seek advice from his brother, especially since, as Sasuke had mentioned, he had learned his techniques from him. Going directly to a teacher was certainly more appropriate.

Moreover, Naruto noticed the kunai Sasuke had thrown during training—it was the same one he had returned to Itachi, marked with the imprint from his first attempt at the Flying Thunder God technique.

But it didn't bother him much; after all, it was returned, and what Itachi chose to do with it was his own business. So Naruto brushed it off.

"Well then, Naruto-kun, I'll be going too..." Hinata's face turned crimson as she spoke softly, almost like a whisper. "I... I actually wanted to invite you... for ramen..."

It wasn't shyness; she had nearly exhausted herself trying to keep up with Naruto's training earlier that afternoon. Now, her energy was almost depleted.

At this point, even thinking about accompanying Naruto for ramen seemed impossible. She could barely manage to walk home, and it was only thanks to a brief rest that she had regained some strength.

"Oh, it's fine! I can go by myself. You should head home and rest," Naruto replied, having worked up a sweat himself. He couldn't help but admire Hinata's timid demeanor.

He knew well how difficult it was to maintain his "dream" training. There were times he had fainted from exhaustion at the beginning. Yet, despite not fully grasping his teachings, Hinata had managed to learn simply by watching him.

As Hinata left, Naruto halted his hand movements and smile, feeling a bit downcast.

Making friends was certainly joyful, but the feeling of parting ways, knowing he had no one to return to... it was hard to bear.

"Ha... ha... ha..." At that moment, Hinata turned a corner, covering her face. It felt as if she was only just realizing her own blushing cheeks, which were practically boiling from embarrassment.

She couldn't even tell if her redness was from exhaustion or the realization of her own sweat after saying goodbye to Naruto-kun...

"Time to go back. Tonight, let the clan nurse take care of you," a familiar voice suddenly rang in her ears. "You really don't know your limits. Forcing yourself to keep up with practices that don't suit your physique will only lead to hidden injuries."

Hinata stared blankly at the person in front of her, hands tucked in their sleeves. In her memory, they had never spoken to her like this before.

Perhaps Naruto-kun's presence had changed her more than just her personality...

"Uncle, I left the money on the table!"

In the small Ichiraku Ramen shop, Naruto placed his now-empty bowl down and scattered the few coins he had left on the table before casually turning to leave.

That had always been his way, at least until Hinata accompanied him for that bowl of ramen.

Although Uncle Ichiraku was very kind, when Naruto came alone, he typically finished quickly and left.

He didn't want to disturb Uncle's business. Many customers might choose to leave upon seeing Naruto in the shop. Even if Uncle was considerate enough not to mention it, Naruto, who had been aware of others' gazes since childhood, couldn't help but notice.

In the past, Naruto might have overlooked it, but as he trained, he became increasingly adept at discerning the sounds and movements of those around him. He could sense subtle, unfriendly intentions toward him, and it seemed he could feel who avoided him because of his presence...

This ability was strange, almost as if one day he had simply awakened to it without any training. It was also why he quickly adapted to interacting with Hinata and Sasuke; he sensed no malice from them.

Malice was a feeling difficult to describe. If he had to compare it to something, for Naruto, it felt like the stinging pain of a shuriken slicing through skin. Most people's hostility toward him felt like just a shuriken's threat.

At that moment, with his hands resting behind his head, Naruto felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He sensed a powerful malice, as if countless hidden weapons were piercing his body!

"Killing intent?" At the same time, the Nine-Tails within Naruto jolted awake. "Is it him?"

"What's wrong?" Minato, the Fourth Hokage, asked urgently.

"..." But Minato received no response. Since awakening, he had never seen the Nine-Tails like this—even when facing it alongside Kushina, it had never been so focused.

Was Naruto in danger? Minato quickly made the judgment. Almost simultaneously, as he realized Naruto might be in trouble, he felt a terrifying realization: the seal he had left behind to contain the Nine-Tails' immense power, the very seal that only Naruto could unlock...

Was loosening.

The kunai that had shot through the air missed its target, a seemingly impossible feat.

"..." Kakashi appeared, forcefully pulling the kunai from the ground before retracting the chakra he had readied to control it.

"Who are you?" Naruto's voice called out, laced with frustration. Although it seemed to come from behind Kakashi, he still felt it.

"Throughout this entire path, I didn't see him leave a Flying Thunder God mark. This means he dodged this ambush solely by reflex?" Kakashi mused, not turning around as he toyed with the kunai in his hand. The mask covering his face couldn't hide his surprise. "So, what Guy said wasn't just a cover for him?"

But those were Kakashi's thoughts at that moment; his posture remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, Naruto, who had received no response from Kakashi, was starting to feel impatient, mixed with a bit of fear.

That intense killing intent was the strongest malice Naruto had ever felt. In that instant, it froze him in place, rendering him immobile.

Yet, for some reason, just at that moment, a scorching power surged within him, returning control to his body and allowing him to evade the ambush.

But he was still just a child who had never witnessed true combat. Even though he could sense the killing intent, he didn't understand what it meant, leading him to...

He dared to show himself.

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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 120+ at patreon.com/Esei01.