Little Sasuke perked up when he heard the murmured discussions nearby. His small head turned instinctively toward the source of the noise, eyes curious.
A tall young man in a flowing blue robe was walking toward the school gates, leading a small, yellow-haired boy by the hand.
For some strange reason, Sasuke felt an odd stir in his heart the moment his gaze landed on the blond-haired boy. It was as if they had known each other before—as if something deep inside him recognized the boy.
Then the murmurs turned venomous.
"Damn Nine-Tails... Why is he still alive?"
"He killed so many people! Why didn't he just die that night?"
"The Hokage is too soft! That monster should've been thrown into a pig cage!"
"A pig cage? That's too easy. He should be cut into pieces!"
Their voices, though low, were sharp and cruel—like knives being driven into the air around them.
These words weren't directed at a grown man or a seasoned ninja, but at a six-year-old child.
They hurled their prejudice and hatred at little Naruto without restraint, forgetting completely that he was just a boy—no older than their own children. Their faces twisted with scorn and fear, completely blind to the cruelty of their actions or the damage they could inflict.
They didn't care.
As long as they could spit their venom and relieve their own sense of loss, grief, or confusion, they were satisfied. In doing so, they transferred their inner pain and helplessness to an innocent child, masking it as righteous anger.
And after spewing their curses, they turned to their children and sternly warned them:
"Stay away from that demon fox. Don't play with him, do you hear?"
Their children, wide-eyed and trusting, nodded without question.
Influenced by their parents' fear and hate, disgust began to brew in their young eyes as they looked at Naruto. They didn't understand why, but they accepted the unspoken rule: Naruto was different. Naruto was dangerous.
These villagers, mostly civilians and low-ranking shinobi, didn't know the full truth. They only knew what they were told—that the Nine-Tails attacked the village and left scars no one could forget.
But unlike them, members of the major clans did know the truth. They knew who Naruto really was.
Those from prestigious families like the Nara, Akimichi, and Hyūga clans watched the little blond boy with something closer to sorrow than hate. Their hearts ached with quiet sympathy, and many of them shook their heads and sighed.
The Fourth Hokage, the great hero who gave his life for the village, had left behind a child who would be hated and ostracized by the very people he had saved.
Would he have done the same if he had known this would be Naruto's fate?
Each word the villagers spoke cut into Naruto's heart like a dagger.
His small fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white. His head was bowed, but his teary eyes sparkled under the shadow of his bangs. He bit his lip hard to keep from crying.
He didn't understand.
He had done nothing wrong. Why did everyone look at him like he was a monster?
He was just a kid.
"I'm not a fox demon... I'm a person!" he screamed silently in his heart.
But no one was willing to listen. No one wanted to understand.
Naruto could only bear it all in silence. He gritted his teeth and vowed to become stronger—strong enough to prove himself to everyone.
One day, he would make them see.
He wasn't a demon fox. He was Uzumaki Naruto.
—
Standing beside him, Uchiha Obito's expression was thunderous.
His face was so dark it looked like a storm cloud could burst from it at any second. His jaw clenched, veins bulged at his temples, and the fury in his eyes was barely contained.
He glanced down and saw Naruto's trembling shoulders, the tears in his eyes, the effort it took to keep from breaking.
A surge of uncontrollable rage exploded in his chest.
He could barely suppress the urge to lash out, to punish these fools for tormenting a child who bore more pain than they could imagine.
He took a deep breath, clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, and then slowly stepped forward.
In one smooth motion, Obito pulled Naruto gently behind him and stood as a protective wall in front of the boy.
Then he looked up.
His cold, piercing gaze swept over the crowd like a blade.
The villagers who had been cursing Naruto just seconds before suddenly stiffened, their faces turning pale. Obito's killing intent surged around him like a raging storm, and the weight of it made their hearts pound in terror.
They fell silent instantly.
Their words dried up in their throats, and none dared to speak.
Even the shinobi among them trembled under the pressure of Obito's icy stare.
They had never felt such suffocating bloodlust from someone in broad daylight—right in front of the academy.
Obito's voice rang out, sharp and merciless.
"If I hear any of you speak to a child like that again... don't blame me for what happens next."
The silence deepened. You could hear a pin drop.
All eyes turned to Obito—and what they saw shocked them to the core.
There, spinning in his eyes, was a pair of crimson Mangekyō Sharingan.
The distinctive pattern in Obito's irises sent a wave of shock through the crowd.
Even the clan heads, who normally held their pride above all else, were left speechless.
Hyūga Hiashi took a step back and muttered under his breath, "Mangekyō Sharingan... How many does the Uchiha clan have?!"
A deep unease settled in his heart. The Sharingan was already fearsome. The Mangekyō? That was a power only a few Uchiha in history had ever awakened.
If the Uchiha have multiple Mangekyō users...
His expression turned grim.
We must maintain a good relationship with the Uchiha at all costs. Otherwise... even the Hyūga might not survive a conflict.
While Hiashi's mind raced with strategy and fear, his daughter—young Hyūga Hinata—looked up at Obito with wide, admiring eyes.
"That big brother is so amazing," she whispered. "He protected Naruto-kun..."
Her pale lavender eyes shimmered with gratitude and admiration.
To her, Obito wasn't just powerful—he was heroic.
He had stood up for the one person she cared about.
Obito, sensing that the atmosphere had finally shifted, nodded with satisfaction. He turned back to Naruto and led him toward the admissions table.
Wherever he walked, the crowd instinctively parted to let him pass.
No one dared block his way.
—
Coincidentally, the teacher in charge of new admissions was Umino Iruka.
The moment Iruka saw Obito approach, he sprang to his feet, nervousness plain on his face.
"Help him with the admission procedures," Obito said calmly.
"Y-Yes! Right away!" Iruka responded, fumbling slightly as he reached for the forms.
He worked quickly, helping Naruto fill out his information and assigning him to a classroom.
Meanwhile, little Sasuke had been watching everything from nearby.
He stared at Obito in awe.
Another Mangekyō Sharingan wielder?
Sasuke thought only his father, Itachi, and Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō. He hadn't expected to meet someone else with it—especially not someone this bold, who openly confronted the villagers.
"Hello, Senior!" Sasuke called respectfully as he stepped forward.
Obito turned and looked at him, mildly surprised. "You're the clan head's son, aren't you?"
"Yes, Senior. My name is Uchiha Sasuke," the boy replied.
Obito smiled and nodded. He gently pulled Naruto forward and introduced him, "Sasuke, this is Uzumaki Naruto. You two should get to know each other. I have a feeling you'll become great friends one day."
Naruto scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin. "H-Hello! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
Sasuke extended his hand. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke."
The two boys shook hands.
Then Obito leaned in close to Sasuke and whispered, "Sasuke, Naruto hasn't had many friends growing up. I hope you can keep an eye on him and help him out at school."
Sasuke nodded solemnly. He'd overheard the cruel things the villagers said. Now that he looked at Naruto more closely, he could see it—the sadness behind the smile.
He didn't know what Naruto had done to deserve this kind of treatment, but he instinctively felt a need to protect him.
Naruto, meanwhile, was still grinning. He was just happy to have made a new friend.
—
"Uncle Obito, we're going to class now!" Naruto said cheerfully.
Obito smiled and nodded. "Go on. Study hard, and remember—if anyone gives you trouble, come tell me."
"Got it!" the boys shouted in unison.
The two of them ran toward the classroom together, side by side..
Obito stood at the school gate, watching them go, a rare softness in his expression.
That's right, Naruto, he thought. You're not alone anymore.
But just as he turned to leave, a voice rang out behind him—filled with disbelief, awe, and a flood of complex emotion.
"Obito... it's you!"
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