Back in the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was observing Naruto Uzumaki through his crystal ball using the Telescope Technique. Suddenly, his attention locked onto the boy's tail.
If there was anything physically distinct between Minato and Kushina's late son and a normal child, it was that tail. In truth, Hiruzen had noticed it a long time ago. After all, his personal summoning beast was Enma, the Monkey King, and his own clan possessed a historic summoning contract with the monkey and ape shinobi clans. Naturally, he was highly perceptive when it came to simian traits.
He had physically examined the appendage early in Naruto's infancy, but had concluded it was entirely mundane. Naruto was simply a toddler who had suffered a freak biological mutation, resulting in a monkey's tail. There was nothing special about it.
In fact, random physical mutations were not at all uncommon in the shinobi world. Some ninja lines had even hardcoded these anomalies into their DNA over generations, eventually establishing distinct clans.
For instance, the Mist Village was famous for shinobi with razor-sharp shark teeth and strange gill-like structures on their faces. Elsewhere, ninjas possessing horns protruding from their skulls or boasting six pairs of functional arms were a dime a dozen. Compared to those grotesque anomalies, Naruto's tail was certainly unusual, but it was a relatively tame stylistic deviation. When tucked safely down the back of his pants, no one could even tell he was different from a normal person.
However, after tonight's violent catastrophe, Hiruzen began to re-evaluate the child. Anyone who possessed the latent power to snap at any moment—regardless of whether that destructive force stemmed from a Tailed Beast—needed to be tightly controlled.
This brand of dark management was a job best suited for Danzo. The Foundation leader was infinitely more skilled in these underhanded operations. Furthermore, letting Danzo handle it allowed Hiruzen to remain untainted; if something went catastrophically wrong, he could easily shift the blame onto his old friend, effectively killing two birds with one stone.
But Danzo seems to have slipped out of the village recently. What on earth is he up to? Hiruzen mused. The moment he returns, I need to launch a thorough investigation. The Foundation has been showing dangerous signs of operating outside my authority lately. I must crush those insubordinate sparks before they catch fire.
Meanwhile, Naruto had already returned to his apartment, washed the blood from his skin, and changed into a fresh set of clothes. He was currently wandering aimlessly through the bustling streets of Konoha.
The surrounding passersby were still glaring and whispering behind his back; absolutely nothing had changed. However, Naruto's internal mentality was entirely different now. He was no longer going out of his way to actively suppress his boiling rage. If any of these pathetic fools dared to push him, he would unleash his power, run amok, and slaughter them on the spot.
He had finally seen the light. Compromising his own well-being and swallowing his pride for the sake of these ungrateful bastards was nothing short of self-degradation. He was deeply, fundamentally disappointed in Konoha.
During his past life, he had read about how dark the Naruto world truly was, but experiencing it firsthand was a different level of depravity. In his old life, people in the real world generally maintained a basic level of public decency; they wouldn't push someone so far into a corner that they forced them to lash out desperately.
But this world operated exactly like the internet of his previous life. These keyboard-warrior villagers were more toxic and foul-mouthed than the next, yet the absolute second things got dangerous, they fled faster than anyone. In a toxic environment like this, if he tried to bear his grievances silently like the original anime Naruto, he would literally die of pure frustration.
He had made his decision. Next time, no matter who it was or what excuse they used, if they dared to provoke him, he would scream, trigger his transformation into the Great Ape King, and initiate a total massacre! If they dared to make him unhappy for a brief moment, he would ensure they never experienced happiness for the rest of their lives. The denizens of this shinobi world were all begging for a severe beating. He would line them up one by one and execute anyone who refused to fall in line!
As he was reveling in his dark thoughts, the high-pitched weeping of a little girl echoed from a narrow alleyway alongside the main street.
Naruto sneered internally. This godforsaken village is truly a lawless dump. Bullying a defenseless little girl in broad daylight—what a pathetic bunch of lowlifes.
Peering into the shadows of the alley, he saw three older boys—roughly seven or eight years old—blocking the path of a tiny, three-year-old girl with short, dark hair. The toddler was trembling violently with fear, her head buried low as she wept, not even daring to look up at her tormentors.
The girl was Hinata Hyuga. She had accidentally been separated from her clan guards while out shopping, and after wandering into this quiet corner, she had been cornered by the trio of bullies.
The tallest boy pointed a mocking finger at Hinata, laughing as he turned to his friends. "Look at her! This freak is a white-eyed monster!"
"Yeah! She looks completely freaky! A creepy girl like her has to be a monster. Let's knock her down a peg!"
With that, the three boys rolled up their sleeves, preparing to physically assault the "white-eyed monster." Hinata crouched lower to the ground, wrapping her small arms around her head in a desperate attempt to protect herself.
The very next microsecond, the tallest boy suddenly felt his entire body go weightless. He blasted backward through the air, smashing violently against the stone wall. The sheer kinetic impact knocked him out cold instantly, sending him rolling onto the dirt with his eyes wide open.
The remaining two boys froze, utterly paralyzed by the sudden turn of events. Naruto stepped into the light beside them, letting out a dark, mocking chuckle. "Hey, guess what? I'm a monster too. Why don't you try knocking me down?"
The two boys turned their heads rigidly, their eyes tracking downward to look at Uzumaki Naruto, who barely came up to their shoulders. Realizing Naruto's tiny stature, their shattered confidence immediately surged back. One of the boys barked, "Who the hell do you think you are?! Are you with this white-eyed freak?"
Hinata peeked out through her fingers, her large eyes filled with curiosity. The exact moment her gaze locked onto Naruto, an overwhelming, profound sense of safety washed over her small heart. She stared at him in genuine awe. Wow... so cool!
Naruto didn't waste his breath on a verbal reply. Instead, his monkey tail whipped through the air like a leather strap, coiling tightly around the speaking boy's throat.
He had recognized her instantly. Standing just a few meters away, watching him with wide, innocent eyes, was his fated wife, Hinata Hyuga. These three worthless brats actually had the audacity to lay a hand on his destined woman? In his previous life, he had been a lonely, single dog for decades. In this life, the heavens had finally thrown him a lifeline; how could he possibly fail to cherish her?
A chorus of agonizing wails and screams soon echoed out from the depths of the alley. It didn't take long before Naruto calmly strolled out into the sunlight, gently pulling Hinata along by her tiny hand.
Looking down at Hinata's heavily blushing face, Naruto felt the residual, toxic malice in his heart suddenly vanish. He was entirely healed.
Hinata offered a polite, solemn bow, her voice trembling with immense gratitude. "U-Um... Hello. My name is Hinata Hyuga. Thank you so much for saving me just now!"
Naruto instinctively tried to return the formal bow, but the second he bent his spine, a sharp, localized pang shot through his lower back. Man, this toddler skeleton is still way too fragile. Note to self: don't try complex adult martial arts stances just yet.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he replied smoothly. "If anyone ever tries to bully you again, just say my name. I'll show up and beat them into a pulp."
Hinata's cheeks flared a deep, burning crimson. It was the absolute first time in her life that anyone had shown her such intense, unreserved protection, and a wave of pure happiness bubbled up in her chest.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man wearing a standard Konoha flak jacket and a forehead protector sprinted around the street corner. He possessed the same distinctive, pale lavender eyes of the Hyuga clan.
The man's face lit up with profound relief the moment he spotted Hinata, but his expression instantly curdled into a mask of pure horror when he noticed Naruto tightly holding her hand.
He lunged forward, roughly prying Naruto's fingers away from the girl, and swept Hinata into his arms. "Lady Hinata! You frightened me half to death!" He scolded gently, entirely ignoring Naruto. "We must return immediately. Your clan training session begins shortly, and the Master will be furious if you are late."
With that, he swiftly dragged the reluctant, love-struck girl away. Naruto stood frozen on the sidewalk, watching her depart with a similarly dazed expression. For a brief moment, he actually felt that this dark, twisted world still possessed a shred of beauty—after all, it had given birth to a creature as infinitely precious as Hinata.
Yet, a cold spike of anxiety suddenly pierced his chest. Although Hinata was his destined wife in the original anime timeline, who could guarantee how things would play out in this life? What if his drastically altered, dark Super Saiyan personality ultimately repelled her? What if she grew to fear him instead of love him?
Nothing was set in stone anymore. The sudden realization left him standing in a melancholic daze. The world-ending pride and violent ambition that had consumed him just moments prior evaporated entirely, replaced by a desperate, lingering fear that his unstable, monstrous power might one day accidentally cause harm to Hinata.
Grumble...
Right on cue, a loud, thunderous protest erupted from his digestive tract. Naruto's dramatic, brooding expression collapsed instantly, leaving him looking thoroughly haggard and exhausted once more.
He needed to hurry up and find a place to fill his stomach. After tossing and turning all day, he still hadn't managed to buy any groceries. It looked like his only option was to find a restaurant and eat a ready-made meal.
However, he knew that ordinary restaurants would likely refuse to serve him. If he wanted a proper meal without being kicked out, his best bet was Ichiraku Ramen. Although he had never visited the shop in this life, his knowledge from his previous life told him that this was the one place in the village that would never discriminate against him.
Navigating through the streets, he turned down several corners and finally found Ichiraku Ramen tucked away in an obscure alley. It was a very small storefront with seven or eight stools lined up side-by-side. The chef working inside was a middle-aged man who constantly kept his eyes squinted. This man was undoubtedly Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku.
The moment Naruto stepped through the curtain, Teuchi noticed him. Looking up from his work, he greeted the boy warmly, "Hello! Welcome to the shop!"
Naruto was slightly taken aback. The greeting had come so fast and naturally, completely devoid of the usual malice he faced elsewhere.
Climbing onto one of the tall stools, Naruto called out to Teuchi, "Bring me your best bowl of ramen, please! Make it a large one, thank you!"
Teuchi looked at Naruto's face with a trace of uncertainty. He recognized the child as the "Nine-Tails Demon Fox" that everyone in Konoha whispered about. Yet, at the exact same time, he felt this little face looked incredibly familiar—as if he had seen those features somewhere long ago.
Shaking off the thought, Teuchi reminded himself that no matter who walked through his door, a customer was a customer. Without a second thought, he turned around and immediately got to work. It wasn't long before a massive, steaming bowl of ramen was placed right in front of Naruto.
Naruto snapped his chopsticks apart and began to eagerly scarf down the food. The bowl itself was literally several times larger than his entire face. The flavor of the ramen was truly spectacular—there were no overwhelming or messy condiments, just a pure, rich balance of salt and umami. The broth was incredibly flavorful with a deep, endless aftertaste, and the noodles were perfectly springy. Complemented by the fresh toppings, it was a magnificent meal.
The only fly in the ointment was his massive appetite. Even though he was only three years old, his combined Saiyan genetics and Uzumaki physiology meant that a single bowl of noodles wasn't nearly enough to fill him up.
He reached into his pocket and touched his meager allowance. The money he had was only enough to pay for this single bowl. As a three-year-old child living entirely off Konoha's stingy monthly welfare handouts, he had to ration his money and food carefully.
With a silent sigh, Naruto placed the exact change for the ramen on the wooden counter and prepared to leave. To his surprise, Teuchi gently stopped him, sliding a brand-new, massive bowl of char siu ramen right in front of him.
Teuchi smiled warmly and said, "This is your very first time visiting our shop! Consider this bowl a gift on the house. I hope you enjoy it to your heart's content."
Naruto looked up at Teuchi's smiling face, and then looked down at the steaming bowl of char siu ramen. In that exact moment, Teuchi's image seemed to blur with a memory from his previous life—he envisioned a friendly soldier holding a bag of rations, smiling at him and saying: "It doesn't matter if you have money or not, let's just be friends!"
Deeply moved, Naruto lowered his head, a warmth blooming in his chest as he began to happily slurp down the second bowl of noodles.
He realized then that good and evil must always be separated. The citizens of Konoha were not entirely corrupt; there were still genuinely kind people left in this village, and he could not afford to generalize everyone based on the actions of the worst.
His previous outlook had been far too simple and reckless. If he had blindly unleashed his rage and hurt innocent people like Teuchi, he would have likely regretted it for the rest of his life. If he simply allowed himself to become a mindless engine of self-destruction, then what would be the difference between himself and a wild, unthinking beast?
I still need to learn to control my emotions, Naruto thought firmly. True power isn't just raw destruction—it is the strength that can be mastered completely in one's hands and used exactly at one's own will.