Friends and a Picnic

Hearing Bai Xuan's words, Tenten and Hinata also looked over.

Naruto looked panicked, glancing left and right to see if there were other people next to him.

After confirming again and again that there were no other people nearby, Naruto looked at Bai Xuan in disbelief, stammering with both desire and fear, "You... are you talking to me?"

Seeing Naruto's reaction, Bai Xuan couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment; the descendants of heroes were actually treated so poorly that they became like this, Konoha Village really is too corrupted. 

It's very sad!

"Yes, I'm speaking to you."

"I just noticed you seemed to want to rush up and drive away those mean brats, and I thought you seemed like a decent person." Bai Xuan explained casually.

Hearing his words, Tenten and Hinata showed some enlightenment.

So that's it.

In fact, because of her strict family education, Hinata rarely ever left the Hyuga clan compound. Because of this, she had no understanding of Naruto or that he was considered a 'fox demon.'

Tenten, on the other hand, had heard the rumors about Naruto, but she believed in Bai Xuan more than rumors.

That's why there was no fear, hatred, or disgust in their eyes when they saw Naruto.

Looking at the eyes of Bai Xuan and the others, Naruto looked like he was about to cry.

'Finally, someone my age is willing to approach me!'

With a few crystals in his eyes, Naruto thought for a moment.

'Can I finally stop being lonely and alone?'

While Naruto was still hesitating, Bai Xuan looked at him and asked, "Are you still hesitating? For things like picnics with friends, the more the merrier. Come quickly."

Naruto really wanted to ask, "Aren't you afraid that I'm a fox demon?"

But at Bai Xuan's urging, Naruto obediently trotted towards the group. 

Just like that, Bai Xuan led Hayate, Tenten, Hinata, and Naruto to the forest at the edge of Konoha.

As for why they walked? 

Even if Hayate is stronger, he still can't carry four people on his back.

The forest they went to is still within the limits of Konoha, and the barrier of Konoha includes this forest. 

After all, Bai Xuan doesn't want the trouble and hassle that comes with taking the Nine Tails Jinchuriki to leave the village, even if it is just to the nearby forest.

On the way, Naruto, who finally could not suppress his curiosity, walked up to Bai Xuan's side with some hesitation and asked, "Um, aren't you afraid that I'm a fox demon?"

Seeing Naruto's attitude, Bai Xuan smiled and responded casually, "It's very simple. You see someone being bullied and the first thing that you think about is helping them. In my book, that makes you a good person. 

Hearing Bai Xuan, Naruto finally couldn't help it.

There was a little tear in Naruto's eyes, and his eyes were full of emotion. He asked with a soft sob, "Really?"

"Of course it is true. Let's be friends, my name is Bai Xuan." Bai Xuan smiled and stretched out his hand.

Listening to Bai Xuan's words, Naruto tried hard to suppress the bubbling emotions and finally showed a bright smile as he took Bai Xuan's hand. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. From today, we are friends.

"Yeah." Bai Xuan replied to Naruto with a smile of his own.

Watching the interaction between Bai Xuan and Naruto, Tenten came over and said to Naruto with a big smile, "Bai Xuan's friends are my friends. My name is Tenten."

When Tenten approached, Naruto's smile became even brighter, and he nodded heavily to reciprocate the greeting.

Hinata on the side hesitated momentarily, then whispered out, "B-Bai Xuan's friends are my friends. My name is Hyuga Hinata."

After nodding again, Naruto smiled like a fool.

Great!

I made friends today!

And there are three of them!

It's my luck to meet Bai Xuan!

Looking at Naruto's smile, Bai Xuan patted Naruto's shoulder like he pats Hayate's head.

"It's getting late, let's hurry up."

"Okay!" Naruto responded with a silly smile.

Soon, the four people and the dog arrived at the forest.

After taking out the storage scroll, Bai Xuan input his chakra. With a puff of smoke, a big pile of barbeque tools appeared on the ground.

Bai Xuan patted Hayate's head, and along with a gust of wind, Hayate rushed out into the forest to hunt for the food.

Before evolution, Hayate could already catch small prey like hares or pheasants.

Now that he has evolved, even Bai Xuan doesn't know what kind of prey Hayate can bring back.

Hayate's terrifying speed surprised Naruto until he recalled the scene of Bai Xuan riding on Hayate to scare away the group of naughty children, and Naruto couldn't help but show a bit of envy.

"That dog is so handsome and awesome!"

Hearing Naruto's words, Bai Xuan replied while assembling the grill, "His name is Hayate, a ninja dog my mother left for me. As a ninja dog, Hayate is much stronger than ordinary beasts. With him here, we can have as many ingredients as we want. Don't be shy or polite, just eat as much as you want."

It must be said that after gaining the strength and talents of Hayate, Bai Xuan's speed is just as fast as Hayate, if not faster.

In just a few words, Bai Xuan had already assembled the grill, lit a fire, and even placed some slices of meat that he had cut on the grill.

After that, he just had to sprinkle some oil and spices, and then wait until the temperature of the meat rises to the correct level.

A mouth watering fragrance drifted out, and because of that, Tenten, Hinata, and Naruto couldn't stop showing some expectations on their faces, and drool even trickled out of the corner of Naruto's mouth.

Needless to say, Tenten had experienced Bai Xuan's cooking before, so she naturally knew to look forward to it. 

As for Hinata and Naruto,

Naruto has a partial Sage Body and he eats a lot. And on top of that, because he usually eats poorly, Naruto naturally looks forward to the grilled meat.

As for Hinata, maybe because of a special physique, Hinata eats much more than even Naruto.

Bai Xuan remembers that Ichiraku Ramen held a big eater competition, but he couldn't clearly remember how many Hinata ate, but he know that Hinata had a big appetite.

But Hinata was born very timid, which led to her not being able to indulge her appetite when eating. She had to strictly abide to etiquette and ate very little like a lady, so Hinata was likely often hungry.

Given this, how could she not look forward to this meal?

So, as the fragrance of the meat became more and more intense, Tenten, Naruto and Hinata couldn't help but gulp.