Chapter 7
From childhood until now, aside from the regular living allowance from Grandpa Third and the constant companionship of Fox Sage, Uzumaki Naruto had never received a gift from anyone else.
Deep down, the concept of "this is a gift for me" didn't even occur to him first.
"So… you want me to pass it on to someone else?" Naruto scratched his head.
"Like, an apology to those jerks from earlier? Nah, they were so mean…"
"N-No… that's not it!"
Hinata panicked, unsure how to explain.
Her gentle nature made her even more flustered under Naruto's questions—her tongue tied in knots.
"It's… it's for you…"
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Head bowed, face burning red, she stared only at her own toes. "Th-Thank you… for saving me earlier…"
"For me?"
Naruto pointed to his own nose, blue eyes widening as if hit by a paralysis jutsu.
This… is for me?
A gift… for me?
Like waking from a dream, a silly grin spread across his face.
He accepted the box solemnly with both hands, then bowed deeply. "Thank you! I've never gotten a gift from anyone else before!"
Seeing Naruto bow back in thanks, Hinata hurriedly returned the gesture. "Because… that day, you came to help me…"
It suddenly dawned on her: So I'm the first person to ever give him a gift?
Noticing Hinata still frozen in place, Naruto remembered something Xuanming had once taught him.
"Um… I can't finish it all by myself. Let's eat together!"
A few minutes later.
On the park swing, two small figures sat side by side.
The opened snack box rested on Hinata's lap—special winter-style wagashi from the Hyūga household.
"Mmm! So pretty! And so yummy!" Naruto's cheeks puffed out as he held up a half-eaten sweet. "This one I'm eating has red bean flavor!"
Hinata sneaked a glance at him—he was squinting in pure satisfaction.
She picked up one of the same shape, took a tiny bite, and her eyes curved into gentle crescents. She actually loved red bean filling too.
"Um… Naruto-kun."
After hesitating, curiosity finally won out. "Those moves you used earlier… what were they? They were really amazing!"
"Ahem!"
Naruto quickly stuffed the rest of the sweet into his mouth, swallowed, jumped off the swing, and wiped his lips with a proud grin.
Finally—someone wanted to see him show off!
"That's a taijutsu style Fox Sage taught me. It's called Taiji Bagua Palm—super strong!"
He assumed a stance. Though small and a bit childish in execution, the forms flowed smoothly and looked impressively proper.
"See? Feet glide like walking through mud… this is 'Mud-Walking Step'!"
"Then hands circle like this… 'Cloud Hands'!"
Naruto demonstrated right there on the snow—opening stance, palm circulation, turning, pushing hands…
Hinata watched with utmost seriousness.
As the main family heir of the Hyūga, she received the strictest taijutsu training from Hiashi himself.
These moves…
She was secretly astonished. They really resembled the Gentle Fist at first glance.
Gentle Fist used the Byakugan to observe chakra pathway flow, attacking internally or sealing tenketsu points.
But Naruto-kun's style… someone unfamiliar might mistake it for Gentle Fist at first, yet the core was completely different.
It emphasized footwork and positioning—superior evasion within a limited range compared to Gentle Fist.
It neutralized force and redirected it, even incorporating elements of hard-style power generation.
"So amazing…" Hinata said sincerely.
"Hehe, right?!" Naruto scratched the back of his head bashfully, floating on the praise. "Fox Sage even says I learn too slowly!"
But at that moment, Xuanming used a fresh trace of just-converted chakra to send his voice directly into Naruto's mind.
"Stop gloating, brat."
"With your three-legged cat kung fu, you can only bully those talentless kids."
"The little girl in front of you—if she really fought seriously…"
"Three seconds. You'd be flat on your back."
"Eh?!!"
Naruto's jaw nearly dropped.
He stared incredulously at the soft, timid girl, then down at himself.
"No way! If she's that strong, why didn't she fight back when those guys were bullying her?!"
Unable to hold back, he blurted it out loud: "You… you're really good at fighting?"
Hinata jolted at the sudden question, nearly dropping the snack box from her lap. She lowered her head, fingers poking together nervously—unsure how the topic had shifted so fast.
She knew as the main family heir, she was destined to lead the Hyūga clan one day. Her father's rigorous daily training was unrelenting.
At three years old, dealing with a few older bullies would be effortless for her, but…
"I… I don't know…"
Her voice was tiny, tinged with confusion and self-doubt. "I don't want to fight… bullying is wrong…"
She lifted her head. Complex emotions flickered in those pure white pupils.
She had the skills drilled into her, yet her kindness and gentleness kept them locked away. That was Hinata Hyūga right now.
Naruto felt a spark of defiance—thinking Xuanming was underestimating him—but he also trusted the fox's judgment.
Looking at Hinata's fragile appearance, an inexplicable urge to protect her welled up inside him.
"It's okay! It's okay!"
Naruto thumped his chest proudly. "Even if you're stronger than me right now, I'll definitely become super-duper strong in the future!!"
"Fox Sage told me: 'If you become Hokage, you'll earn everyone's recognition. The Hokage also carries the duty of protecting the whole village.'"
"So one day, I'm gonna become Hokage! Get recognized by everyone!"
"The Hokage protects the entire village—which naturally includes you. I'll always protect you."
What Naruto didn't say out loud: Hinata was one of the few who didn't look at him with rejection and disgust.
"Always… protect me?"
Hinata's face flushed scarlet again. Her index fingers twisted together furiously.
"Milady! Are you alright?!"
Figures hurried over from the distance.
A teenage boy around 15–16, no forehead protector, rushed up—pure white eyes filled with anxiety.
He was Hinata's clansman cousin, Hyūga Kamon, assigned as her escort.
"Phew… I made it."
Kamon scanned the area, saw no danger, and relaxed slightly.
He had followed Hinata to the nearby shops. She'd told him to pick things out while she went to wait near the academy gates.
As her escort, he knew she'd brought wagashi from home to give to someone—he'd even felt happy that the young lady was making a friend outside the clan.
But soon after, gossiping villagers mentioned three battered kids running down the street, crying about "the fox demon trying to kill us" and "Byakugan monster…"
Thinking Hinata was in danger, he dropped everything and sprinted toward the academy.
Instead, he found the clan heir sitting with the village's so-called "Nine-Tails brat."
"K-Kamon-niisan…?" Hinata startled, calling timidly.
Hyūga Kamon ignored Naruto, crouching to check Hinata quickly. "Milady, are you unharmed? Any injuries?"
"I'm fine…" Hinata shook her head, trying to explain. "Earlier… Naruto-kun… he saved—"
"Good."
Kamon cut her off gently but firmly, tone still respectful. "If everything here is settled, please allow me to escort you home."
"But…" Hinata glanced at Naruto standing a few meters away, eyes full of reluctance. "I still haven't…"
"Milady."
Kamon's tone grew firmer. He turned, using his body to block Naruto's view.
"There's still the afternoon training schedule set by Lord Hiashi. After shopping, we must return and prepare early."
With that, he took Hinata's hand and led her away.
Lacking the assertiveness to refuse—especially when her father was mentioned—Hinata could only follow.
She looked back apologetically at Naruto.
Uzumaki Naruto raised his arm and waved energetically, forcing a bright smile.
"It's okay! Training at home is more important. See you next time!"
Only after they were far away did Kamon slow his pace.
He chose his words carefully. "Lady Hinata, please refrain from contacting that child in the future."
This wasn't hatred—just concern for the future heir's reputation.
"Because everyone calls Naruto-kun the Nine-Tails demon fox? What is the Nine-Tails?"
"That's something Lady Hinata doesn't need to know yet."
Hinata lowered her gaze, brows furrowed in silence, and followed Kamon back toward the Hyūga compound.
Left behind was Naruto, his bright smile fading back to calm.
He noticed Kamon's look wasn't hostile or disgusted—just neutral, with a hint of surprise.
He didn't dislike the guy.
Walking back to the swing, he found the half-eaten snack box still there.
Naruto carefully closed the lid and hugged it to his chest.
This was a gift someone gave him.
A cold wind blew through the now-empty park, leaving him alone again.
"Ah! Oh no!"
Naruto suddenly slapped his forehead, realizing something. "When I asked her name earlier, we got interrupted… then I got distracted by the gift and showing off…"
What was that girl's name again?
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