Walking through the bustling streets, I made my way toward the edge of the Forest of Death.
Even from here, the towering trees loomed over me like ancient sentinels, their thick, gnarled branches stretching toward the sky. Decades old, at least. At their roots, mushrooms sprouted in clusters, their colors ranging from deep reds to bright purples.
I picked one up, inspecting its suspiciously vibrant hues.
"Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet... yeah, this thing's definitely poisonous. One bite, and I'd probably start seeing Uchiha Madara breakdancing."
Shaking my head, I tossed the mushroom aside.
This was my first time venturing near the Forest of Death. Before, I never even considered coming close—weak, powerless, unable to protect myself. But now... I had Scorch Style. I wanted to test it out, maybe even hunt something to eat.
Unfortunately, no prey in sight. Just an abundance of suspiciously colorful fungi.
So much for a free meal.
---
As I turned back toward the village, I heard something that made me freeze.
A girl crying.
My brows furrowed. That voice...
Little Hinata!?
I pushed through the underbrush, stepping over tangled roots and parting the tall grass until I finally saw them.
Three brats surrounded Hinata, laughing as they threw small stones at her.
"Monster! Monster with creepy white eyes!"
"Gross, gross! So ugly!"
"Hand over all your money, freak!"
Hinata sat curled up on the ground, clutching a small food box to her chest, her pale eyes brimming with tears. The insults stung her, cutting deeper than any stone they threw.
And the little bastards were enjoying it.
They were laughing.
Mocking.
As if they'd done something impressive.
A cold anger rose in my chest.
I stepped forward. "Oi—get lost."
Before they could react, I swung my foot into the leader's gut, sending him flying backward. He hit the ground with a wheeze, clutching his stomach. The other two froze, eyes wide in shock.
Ignoring them, I crouched beside Hinata. "Are you okay?"
Her tear-filled eyes blinked up at me in surprise. "Naruto-kun...?"
I smiled, gently brushing a few stray locks of hair from her face. "Don't listen to them. Your eyes are beautiful. You're beautiful."
Hinata's entire face turned scarlet. Her lips parted, but instead of words, all that came out was a soft squeak.
Then—poof.
A faint trail of white smoke rose from her head as she slumped against my chest, unconscious.
"...Huh?"
I stared down at her, then sighed with a helpless chuckle.
"Really, Little Hinata?"
I carefully set her down against the base of a tree before turning my attention back to the brats. My smile faded.
"You wanna die?"
The lead brat, still hunched over where he'd landed, growled in frustration. "Tch—get that damn monster!"
The other two hesitated for half a second before rushing me, fists raised.
I sighed. "Idiots."
Raising my own fist, flames roared to life around it.
"Scorch Style—Scorch Kill."
Three strikes. That was all it took.
The moment my burning fists connected, their screams tore through the forest. The dark red flames seeped into their skin, burning straight through to the bone.
They writhed on the ground, howling in agony. Not just from the pain—but because some of their bone marrow had already evaporated. Their bodies would never be the same.
I crouched, yanking their money pouch from them with a cold glare. "Scram. And if I ever catch you bullying someone again..." I let the flames flicker menacingly around my fingers. "Well. You won't get a second warning."
Whimpering, they scrambled to their feet and bolted, tripping over themselves in their haste to escape.
---
A few minutes later, Hinata stirred.
I smiled, patting her head. "Feeling better?"
She blinked up at me drowsily before quickly realizing where she was—more importantly, who she was leaning against.
Her face instantly turned red again.
I chuckled, letting her sit up properly. "You know, you didn't have to just sit there and take it. You could've handled those guys with your Gentle Fist, easy."
Hinata lowered her gaze. "But... that would hurt them..."
I sighed. "Hinata, being too kind isn't always a good thing. If you never fight back, people will keep hurting you. And worse, you won't be able to protect the people you care about."
She looked up at me, hesitant. "...I don't understand."
I thought for a moment, then smiled. "Okay. Let's say I was the one being bullied. Would you protect me?"
Her eyes widened. Then, without hesitation, she clenched her tiny fists and declared, "Yes! I would definitely protect Naruto-kun!"
I ruffled her hair with a laugh. "That's the spirit."
She blinked. "So... that's what you meant?"
"Yup."
She stared at me for a long moment, her face still flushed. Then—
"Naruto-kun likes me... Naruto-kun likes me... Naruto-kun likes me..."
Her voice drifted into a dazed whisper, white smoke rising from her head again.
And just like that—
She fainted for the second time.
I barely caught her before she hit the ground.
"...Little Hinata, you're gonna be the love of my life."