Naruto felt warm and safe. The moment Kasi appeared, that warmth in his chest grew stronger. His presence was calm yet powerful—like everything ugly in the world had to stop and look away.
The clan heads arrived soon after, alarmed by the sudden chakra burst that shook the village. Hiashi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, Shibi Aburame, and Tsume Inuzuka all appeared with serious faces.
Their eyes went straight to their children standing beside Naruto, then to the man who stood in front of them. They said nothing—only gave small nods toward Kasi, silently thankful that no one was hurt.
The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, soon appeared as well. His face looked grim, but when he noticed Naruto's eyes on him, he quickly replaced it with his warm, grandfatherly smile.
"Naruto, my boy, are you alright?" he said softly.
Before Naruto could answer, the villagers—now feeling brave with the Hokage's presence—started shouting again.
"Lord Hokage! Why is that monster still alive?"
"He's a curse to this village!"
"He killed our loved ones—now he's corrupting children too!"
"That thing should've been locked away!"
"Why do you let this demon walk free?!"
Naruto froze. Every word hit him like a blade. He clenched his small fists, his eyes trembling, but he didn't cry.
Kasi's eyes narrowed. His patience was running thin. He looked at the crowd, his expression unreadable, his gaze cold and sharp.
"What are you looking at?" one man shouted.
"Yeah, what do you know?!"
"Don't defend the demon if you don't know what it really is!"
"He's dangerous—just like the fox inside him!"
Kasi barely stopped himself from killing these villagers and said,
"You curse a child who's done nothing wrong. Your Hokage sacrificed himself to save this village, and you spit on everything he used to stand for."
Hiruzen, who had been silent, spoke then.
"Enough for today. Please go back to your homes."
He signaled the ANBU to take the injured man away.
Some villagers hesitated. Others shouted louder to hide their unease.
"He's the fox! Don't be fooled!"
"You're just another outsider who doesn't understand our pain!"
"That monster doesn't belong here!"
Naruto clenched his teeth. His heart was racing, but when he looked up, he saw Kasi—still standing, still calm. Somehow, that gave him strength.
Kasi had seen enough.
He took a single step forward. The air turned heavy. Even the ANBU watching from the rooftops felt the pressure.
"Enough."
The single word froze everyone.
His chakra flared—not wildly, but with perfect control—strong enough to make the crowd's knees weak.
"I don't care what you believe," Kasi said slowly, his eyes hard as steel. "But if anyone here dares to lay a hand on this child again, you'll answer to me."
Silence fell. The villagers still glared, but no one spoke again.
Hiruzen's expression tightened. He could feel the power radiating from Kasi. But when Naruto looked at him, he still smiled softly, trying to keep his mask as the kind old man who cared for him.
One by one, the villagers turned away, pulling each other along until the street was empty again. The only sounds left were the soft breathing of the children and the quiet wind.
The clan heads exchanged small glances, knowing this incident would not end here.
Naruto stood silently, still shaken but somehow feeling… safe. He didn't understand what was going on, but deep down, he felt something he hadn't in years—the feeling that someone was truly on his side.
Hi you can read chapter ahead of other's in
my patreon www.patreon.com Garp2001