Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

After the lively little trio finally finished their training session, the sun gradually sank below the horizon.

It was time for everyone to head home.

Sasuke Uchiha was the first to leave.

After repeatedly trying—and utterly failing—to replicate Naruto's shuriken technique, he could only throw out what he believed was an intimidating declaration:

"This training ground just doesn't suit me! I'm going back to study properly. Next time, I won't lose to you!"

Then he immediately dashed away before anyone could respond.

Naruto seriously suspected Sasuke had gone home to ask his brother for help.

After all, just as Sasuke said—

Naruto himself had copied the technique from that very same older brother.

Going straight to the source really was the smarter option.

Naruto had also noticed the kunai Sasuke used earlier.

It was the very same kunai Naruto had returned to Itachi Uchiha before—

The Flying Thunder God seal Naruto accidentally engraved during his very first attempt was still carved into the handle.

Still, Naruto didn't think much about it.

He had already returned it.

Who Itachi chose to give it to afterward was none of his business.

"T-Then Naruto-kun… I should head home too…"

Hinata Hyuga's tiny face was completely red, her voice soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"I… I originally wanted to invite you… for ramen…"

This time, however, her shyness wasn't the real reason.

Earlier that afternoon, she had desperately tried to keep up with Naruto's training pace and nearly exhausted herself to collapse.

At the moment, her stamina was practically completely depleted.

Forget accompanying Naruto for ramen—

The fact she could still walk home at all was only because she had managed to rest for a while beforehand.

"Oh, it's okay!"

"I'll just go by myself. You should head home and rest early."

Naruto himself was drenched in sweat as well.

Looking at Hinata's timid expression, he actually felt a trace of admiration toward her.

He understood better than anyone how difficult his "dream training" methods truly were.

When he first started, he had literally trained until collapsing unconscious multiple times.

Although Hinata still didn't fully understand his explanations, she genuinely tried her best.

Whatever Naruto did—

She simply copied it exactly.

After Hinata left, Naruto's energetic smile gradually faded.

He lowered his hands and quietly fell silent.

Making friends was wonderful.

But after parting ways with them…

Being the only one with nowhere to return to…

That feeling really hurt.

"Hah… hah… hah…"

Meanwhile, around the corner, Hinata clutched her burning face while trembling slightly.

It was only after separating from Naruto that she suddenly realized—

She was currently covered in sweat.

At this point, even she couldn't tell whether her face was red from exhaustion…

Or from embarrassment.

"You should head home."

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke beside her ear.

"And have the clan medic apply treatment tonight."

"Trying to forcibly keep up with training that doesn't suit your physique will leave hidden injuries."

Hinata blankly stared at the figure standing before her with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

In her memories…

Her father had never spoken to her like this before.

Perhaps…

The changes Naruto brought her weren't limited only to her personality.

"Old man, I left the money on the table!"

Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto placed down his completely empty bowl before scattering the few remaining coins from his pocket across the counter.

Then he turned around and walked away coolly.

He had always been like this.

At least until the day Hinata accompanied him to eat ramen together.

Old Man Teuchi treated him kindly, but whenever Naruto came alone, he always finished eating quickly and left immediately.

Because he didn't want to hurt Ichiraku's business.

Many customers would turn around and leave the moment they saw Naruto eating there.

Although Teuchi never mentioned it out loud, Naruto had long since noticed.

Especially recently.

As his training improved his senses, he became increasingly capable of distinguishing conversations and subtle movements around him.

And for some unknown reason…

Naruto had gradually developed the ability to vaguely sense hostility from others.

He could instinctively tell who avoided him because they hated him.

At first, he hadn't paid much attention to it.

But eventually, it became impossible to ignore.

That strange sensation was difficult to describe.

If he absolutely had to compare it to something—

To Naruto, other people's malice felt like the sting of a shuriken slicing across skin.

Most people's hatred toward him felt like a single thrown blade.

But right now—

As Naruto casually walked home with his hands behind his head after dinner, his entire spine suddenly turned cold.

He felt an overwhelming killing intent.

It was as though countless hidden weapons were simultaneously piercing through his body.

"…Killing intent?"

Inside Naruto's seal, Kurama abruptly opened his eyes.

"…Him?"

"What happened?"

Beside him, Minato Namikaze immediately asked anxiously.

But he received no reply.

Ever since awakening within Naruto's seal—

Even during the time he and Kushina faced the Nine-Tails itself—

Minato had never seen Kurama like this before.

The fox completely ignored him.

Every ounce of its attention focused entirely outward.

At this moment, nothing else in the world was worthy of distracting it.

Naruto was in danger.

Minato instantly realized this.

And almost simultaneously—

The moment that realization surfaced in Minato's mind—

He horrifyingly discovered that the Eight Trigrams Seal he created in life…

The seal that should only be loosened by Naruto himself…

Had shifted.

The incoming kunai missed.

The target that should have been impossible to evade had completely vanished.

"..."

Kakashi Hatake appeared where Naruto originally stood and slowly pulled the kunai from the ground.

He withdrew the chakra attached to it—the chakra originally prepared to restrain Naruto afterward.

"Who are you?"

Naruto's voice rang out from behind him, filled with dissatisfaction.

The Naruto who should have been standing before Kakashi was now somehow behind him instead.

"And there weren't any Flying Thunder God markers left along the road…"

Kakashi casually spun the kunai in his hand.

The Anbu mask concealed his face, but not the surprise in his tone.

"So during that attack…"

"He avoided it entirely through reflexive teleportation?"

"So Guy wasn't completely exaggerating when he tried covering for him…"

Of course, those were merely Kakashi's internal thoughts.

Outwardly, he remained perfectly motionless.

Meanwhile, Naruto grew increasingly irritated after receiving no response.

But underneath that irritation—

There was fear.

That terrifying killing intent earlier was the strongest malice Naruto had ever felt in his life.

For a split second, the sheer pressure had frozen his body completely.

He couldn't move at all.

Yet somehow…

At that critical instant, an intensely scorching power surged from deep within his body.

It instantly restored control over him, allowing him to dodge the attack.

But despite all this—

Naruto was still just a child who had never experienced true life-and-death combat.

He could sense killing intent…

But he didn't truly understand what it meant.

Which was precisely why—

Even after being attacked—

He still dared to show himself.

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