Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 51 Naruto Uzumaki: Big brother, you're so strong! (Please continue reading)
The atmosphere within the Hyuga clan was incredibly oppressive.

It wasn't just because of the devastating news of impending war, but also because today was Hyuga Hizashi's funeral.

In the courtyard, the heavy, suffocating scent of sandalwood mingled with the smell of old tatami mats, like a thick, sticky paste clinging to Hizashi Hyuga's nostrils and throat.

"..."

Hyuga Hizashi looked at the photo surrounded by layers of white chrysanthemums, and at himself and the people kneeling in the room, and felt that this world was so absurd.

Hinata Hyuga, who had just celebrated her third birthday not long ago, hid behind him, carefully holding onto the hem of her "father's" clothes with her little hands, watching everything that was happening in front of her with a blank and ignorant look.

Hinata Hyuga at this moment does not understand what death means.

Until I saw Hyuga Neji kneeling in front of the photo, I felt that he was as stiff as a forgotten terracotta figure.

"Neji, please accept my condolences..."

A member of the Hyuga branch family patted Neji on the shoulder and sighed softly. Neji, whose expression had been calm and suppressed, couldn't help but tremble slightly. Under Hinata's gaze, he lowered his head and a glistening tear slid down his cheek.

The pain and sorrow that seemed to overflow from the depths of her heart made Hinata's heart tremble slightly.

"All things are impermanent, subject to arising and ceasing... When arising and ceasing cease, there is bliss in Nirvana... May I be free from suffering and attain peace, and be reborn in the Pure Land..."

The monks' monotonous and drawn-out chanting sounded like heavy lead, tapping against her eardrums, or like countless fine needles pricking her nerves, making her slightly tense.

She recalled the strange looks from her older brothers and sisters who had branched out from the family yesterday, and suddenly realized that the death of Lord Hizashi might be related to her.

Hinata then easily released her grip on her "father's" clothes and fled the funeral hall in small, hurried steps.

At the front of the crowd, Hinata Kumokawa seemed to sense something and turned to look behind him.

call.

This was Konoha's first snowfall of the year. The goose-feather-like snowflakes fell silently and densely, covering the carefully trimmed pine branches in the courtyard, concealing the bluestone path, and enveloping the whole world in a suffocating, cold, pure white silence.

Only the lanterns under the eaves swayed helplessly in the wind and snow, casting a dim and trembling halo of light.

Before Hinata's eyes, those figures dressed in solemn black robes swayed in her peripheral vision, like silent, ominous dark clouds. Their occasional strange glances were like barbed hooks, scraping against her exposed skin.

An overwhelming sense of guilt and cowardice welled up from the bottom of her heart, causing her to subconsciously choose to escape. She went from walking to running, wanting nothing more than to get away from that oppressive room.

creak!creak!
She trudged through the snow, her thin clothes fluttering in the wind, her wide belt tightly cinching her waist. Snowflakes lashed her face, melting into icy water that trickled down her collar.

As she ran out of the Hyuga clan's territory, she suddenly stumbled and fell heavily into the thick snow, the cold instantly enveloping her.

"Woo..."

The tears that had been building up in her eyes finally overflowed, the scalding liquid sliding down her cold cheeks and dripping onto the snow, melting into tiny, fleeting dark marks.

She struggled to her feet and continued running, but as she turned the corner, she bumped into someone.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Hinata wiped away her tears and stood up, instinctively raising her head to apologize.

The boy she bumped into was one of the three boys. After seeing Hinata Hyuga's white eyes, he swallowed the "it's okay" he was about to say.

"Huh?" The two boys beside him blurted out, "Her, her eyes..."

Everyone now knows that war is imminent, and the Hyuga clan, as one of the culprits responsible for the war, is in a very difficult situation in Konoha.

To put it jokingly, they used to roll their eyes at others, but now it's their turn to roll their eyes at each other.

Whenever the villagers see those signature eye rolls, they react with disgust and become rude.

This attitude undoubtedly influenced their children.

The evil of children is the purest form of evil, evil untainted by any self-interest.

"Look, her eyes are white!"

"It really is! A monster with white eyes!"

"Is she a monster like that thing?!"

The three boys immediately started shouting and jeering, and Hinata Hyuga, who had already stood up, was pushed down again by them.

A boy even reached out and grabbed her eyes. Hinata Hyuga seemed to be stunned, her face turning slightly pale as she stared blankly.

"live……"

"Hey." Just as he was about to touch Hinata Hyuga, two voices came almost at the same time.

The boy instinctively turned his head to look behind him, and the next moment, a slap loomed large in his eyes.

Snapped!
He was spun halfway by the slap before falling to the ground, along with a blood-stained tooth.

"what!"

The other two mischievous kids had barely let out their shrill screams when Hinata Kumokawa slapped them twice across the face, sending two teeth flying out as they peacefully drifted off to sleep.

"Ms. Hinata."

Hinata Kumokawa looked at Hinata, who timidly opened her eyes, and casually pointed in the direction of the Hyuga clan, saying, "It's dangerous at night. If you've had enough fun, you should go home."

"Yes Yes……"

Knowing she had caused trouble for others, Hinata Hyuga subconsciously lowered her head and responded.

As Hinata Hyuga's figure gradually disappeared, Hyuga Kumokawa turned his gaze back to what was behind him.

creak...creak...

A short, waddling figure, wrapped up unusually thickly like a penguin, emerged from behind a telephone pole.

As I passed by the three unruly kids lying on the ground, I stuck my hands in my pockets and kicked each of them.

"Big brother, you're amazing."

Walking up to Hinata Kumokawa, the "little guy" looked up at him, pulled off his scarf to reveal a familiar face, and asked in a childish voice, "Are you a ninja? A genin?"

Looking into the child's azure eyes and his signature mustache, Hinata Kumokawa's gaze deepened.

Naruto Uzumaki, the orphan of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, is now the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

I never expected our first meeting to be under these circumstances.

Hinata Kumokawa squinted and asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Naruto Uzumaki also squinted his eyes and shook his head, saying in a silly manner, "I'm not afraid, because you don't hate me, big brother."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Kumokawa paused for a moment, instinctively thinking of Naruto Uzumaki's ability to sense malice.

But he soon realized that Naruto wouldn't have that ability at this time.

That is to say...

"Did you perceive it through intuition and experience?" Hinata Kumokawa felt a surge of interest.

The current Naruto seems much more likable than the Naruto who grows up to be less attractive.

However, Naruto's identity is too sensitive, so it's too early to meet him now.

Even if we meet, it shouldn't be in this capacity.

So, Hinata Kumokawa took one last look at him, raised his hand, and used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.

Naruto stood there, his eyes slightly shining.

Instant teleportation technique, so cool!

creak.

Not long after Yun Chuan left Naruto Uzumaki, a figure appeared in front of Yun Chuan.

"Hyuga Kumokawa, a Jonin." The newcomer, wearing an Anbu mask, handed two scrolls to Hyuga Kumokawa, saying in a cold voice, "These were given to you by the Third Hokage."

Root ninjas?
Upon smelling that familiar, chilling scent, Hinata Kumokawa immediately understood and took the two scrolls from the other party's hands.

The first thing I opened was a pass to the Forbidden Techniques Library, which seemed to have been sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

As for the second one...

"They actually want us to investigate Hanzo's physical condition in Amegakure, the Hidden Rain Village, on our way to the Land of Hot Springs?" Hinata Kumokawa's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered.

Was this Hiruzen Sarutobi's order, or Danzo Shimura's order?
Or perhaps, both?
but……

"Hanzo?" Hinata Kumokawa thought to himself with a smile. "He seems like a pretty good puppet."

(End of this chapter)