Several children screamed, covered their backsides, and ran off crying.
Hinata blushed and lowered her head to look at Naruto.
From a young age, her father had warned her not to associate with Naruto.
Unfortunately, Hyuga Hiashi, that stern old man, did not understand that when a girl begins to take interest in a boy, it is often the beginning of her fall.
"Th-Thank you…"
Hinata lowered her head and rubbed the corner of her clothes nervously.
Naruto smiled brightly.
"It's nothing."
Seeing Naruto's carefree expression, Hinata's face turned even redder.
According to the normal course of events, Naruto should have turned around and left at this moment.
That was also part of the Third Hokage's plan—Hinata's guards could not be allowed to delay things for too long.
However, this Naruto was not the naive boy depicted in the original story.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Hinata's hand and walked toward the Hyuga clan compound.
"Let's go. I'll take you home."
Naruto said it with a shameless grin.
He had no intention of waiting for the "storm" to pass before allowing Hinata to grow attached to him.
Although Hinata's hand was burning hot in his grasp, she did not faint like she once did as a child.
Naruto nodded in satisfaction, feeling the nervous tremble in her palm. It seemed some things had to be nurtured from a young age—though whether this counted as "taming" was another matter.
"Lady Hinata!"
When Naruto and Hinata returned to the Hyuga clan, they ran into a member of the Branch House who had been anxiously searching for her.
"…Who are you?"
The Hyuga Branch member frowned.
"Lady Hinata, why are you with him?"
"Naruto… Naruto saved me."
Hinata quickly pulled her hand back and explained nervously.
The Branch House member shot Naruto a look of disgust, grabbed Hinata's hand, and said:
"Come, Lady Hinata. Don't stay with someone like him."
"B-But…"
Hinata hesitated, trying to protest.
But the guards restrained her. In their eyes, Naruto was merely a weapon belonging to Sarutobi Hiruzen's Hokage faction. Obviously, the head of the Hyuga clan was a more suitable Hokage candidate than that old man of the Third Generation.
At that moment, Naruto spoke calmly:
"Is this how the Hyuga treat their guests? Shouldn't you at least acknowledge that I saved your clan's young lady?"
The guard's face darkened, ready to shout:
"What do you know? If it weren't for—"
"Silence!"
A cold voice suddenly echoed from inside.
Hyuga Hiashi stepped out through the massive gates.
"Clan Head."
The Branch House guards immediately bowed.
Hyuga Hiashi glanced at Naruto with feigned displeasure and said:
"This is indeed not the hospitality our Hyuga clan prides itself on. If you wish to enter, then come in."
Naruto smiled instantly. That was exactly what he wanted.
"Wait!"
Two masked figures suddenly appeared from the shadows.
"You cannot enter!"
They were the ANBU assigned to monitor Naruto.
Naruto smiled faintly and turned around, putting on a rebellious child's expression.
"Who are you? Why won't you let me in? I just saved the clan's young lady—can't I at least have a meal?"
Before they could react, Naruto dashed through the Hyuga gates while the ANBU were momentarily distracted.
The two ANBU were startled and stepped forward to stop him.
But two Hyuga members blocked the entrance.
"This is the ancestral land of the Hyuga. Do not overstep."
The ANBU's expressions darkened. Though they were ANBU, they were only at Elite Chunin level. In front of a great clan like the Hyuga, they had no authority to intrude.
Like the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga maintained their own internal system of law and order, largely independent from village interference.
They could only watch as Naruto walked inside.
"I'll stay here. Go report this to Lord Hokage!"
The two ANBU exchanged glances, and one of them quickly departed.
The Hyuga guards did not stop him. They had merely declared territorial sovereignty. They had no intention of openly provoking Sarutobi Hiruzen by obstructing an ANBU report.
After all, if the Hokage faction failed to manage their own Jinchuriki, they could hardly blame the Hyuga.
That was the power of being one of Konoha's two great pillars.
Passing through the vast courtyard of the Hyuga estate, Naruto remarked casually:
"This place is truly wealthy."
Hyuga Hiashi, stone-faced, replied:
"Servants will entertain you shortly. If you have any requests, inform them. Hinata will continue her Jutsu training and cannot accompany you."
"Father…" Sadness flickered in Hinata's eyes.
Naruto, however, grinned shamelessly.
"Well then, I won't be polite."
Hiashi said nothing more and led Hinata away.
As the head of the Hyuga clan, his demeanor remained dignified.
Naruto, on the other hand, showed no restraint. Ignoring the servants' disdainful expressions, he ordered an entire table of delicacies.
Before leaving, he even extorted 100,000 ryo.
For a wealthy clan like the Hyuga, that amount was insignificant.
Even considering Minato's legacy, it was hardly a burden.
After eating and drinking his fill, Naruto waved the stack of ryo bills and headed toward the exit.
Hyuga Hiashi, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared to escort him.
Not out of fear of theft—rather, it seemed to be a gesture of courtesy toward a guest.
Naruto smiled inwardly. This man was truly cold on the outside, but warm within.
When they reached the gate, Naruto spoke casually:
"I heard a delegation from the Hidden Cloud will soon arrive in Konoha. They say it's led by someone with white eyes… perhaps they've come to seize a clan's eyes or something."
Hyuga Hiashi's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at Naruto in shock.
But Naruto merely shook the ryo in his hand and ran out the gate.