Naruto uzumaki : The Will To Rise

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Chapter 22 : future plans

Lying on the hospital bed and savoring the fruit Hinata fed him, Naruto cherished the moment of peace. In his previous life, he had been single and never experienced a woman's care. Now, in this new life, it was a first for him.

Using his ability to sense malicious intent, Naruto asked Hinata about the events that occurred after the Third Hokage and Kakashi had left the hospital. As Hinata hesitantly explained, Naruto's expression gradually darkened.

Despite his interference, the Yunin Mission incident had still taken place. However, this time, the leader of Yunin had kidnapped Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi, who was less than a year old, instead of Hinata. The events that followed unfolded just as Naruto remembered them.

To save his daughter, Hiashi Hyuga killed the Yunin leader. However, the Yunin envoy demanded answers, and under pressure from the village leadership, the Hyuga clan was forced to offer Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, as a scapegoat to preserve the peace treaty between the two nations.

Naruto wasn't part of the Hyuga clan, so he refrained from commenting on the merits of the Caged Bird Seal system. However, he couldn't hide his disappointment in the Third Hokage. From Kurama, Naruto had learned that the ninja who delayed the Anbu on that fateful day was a member of the Yunin Mission. This meant Yunin had planned their actions all along. Yet, when both the Hyuga clan and Naruto were threatened, the Third Hokage chose to compromise with Yunin. Did he not worry about appearing weak to the village's ninja? Or did the villagers prefer a false sense of peace, even at the cost of Konoha's dignity as the strongest Hidden Village?

Shaking off these thoughts, Naruto turned to the shy Hinata and asked, "Hinata, your sister was just kidnapped. Did you forget what I told you before? Did you sneak out again?"

Hinata firmly shook her head. "No. My father gave me permission. As long as I finish my homework, I can use my free time as I wish, so long as I'm back before dark."

Seeing her newfound confidence, Naruto smiled inwardly. It seemed Hinata was unaware of what was about to happen to Hizashi. The Hyuga clan was very protective of the main family. If Hiashi had allowed Hinata to leave, perhaps it meant he already suspected Naruto's true identity.

Maybe this was Hiashi's subtle way of retaliating against the Third Hokage after being forced to give up his brother.

The peaceful time passed quickly. After talking for a while, Hinata eventually had to leave. Naruto watched as she departed under the protection of the Hyuga guards. Now, only Naruto and Kurama remained in the ward.

Naruto picked up a few ninjutsu scrolls left behind by the Third Hokage. They contained training methods for several C-rank Wind Style jutsus, outlining various techniques for utilizing wind chakra. It was the most comprehensive Wind Style training material Naruto had ever seen.

While the Third Hokage had never been stingy with Naruto's training, these Wind Style techniques felt overly refined for Naruto's taste. He preferred raw, straightforward power over intricate methods.

Setting the scrolls aside, Naruto felt an urge to train, but the hospital wasn't the right place. Later that afternoon, the Third Hokage returned and confirmed that Naruto had fully recovered. He arranged for Naruto's discharge and handed him the key to a new home, as his previous residence had been destroyed and was under repair.

When Naruto arrived at the new place, he felt uneasy. The room was untidy, and the refrigerator was nearly empty, stirring an old sense of insecurity within him. Determined to fill the fridge, he headed out to the streets.

The streets were familiar, and so were the people. Yet, something had changed. If the villagers once looked at him with disdain, now their gazes were filled with fear, as if he were a dangerous beast.

Trying to ignore it, Naruto entered a shop he often visited. He greeted the shopkeeper, but before he could haggle, the man nervously thrust a bundle of goods at him. "Lord Naruto, please take these for free."

Naruto frowned, puzzled by the shopkeeper's sudden generosity. Before he could ask, the shopkeeper knelt down and began slapping himself. "Lord Naruto, I deserve punishment for selling you fake goods before. Please forgive my disrespect!"

Naruto quickly pieced things together. Rumors about him must have spread through the village while he was in a coma. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Have there been rumors about me in the village recently?"

The shopkeeper hesitated before nodding. "I don't dare say much, but yes, people have been talking."

Naruto pressed him further, and the shopkeeper eventually revealed the whispers circulating through the village.

As Naruto left the store, his expression was grim. The Yunin leader's death had only escalated his problems. During his rampage, the villagers had confirmed the old rumors that he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Their fear had replaced their previous hatred.

Before, they had insulted and discriminated against him openly. Now, they looked at him with a fearful respect.

Naruto chuckled bitterly, unsure if he was laughing at himself or at the villagers.

In the sealed space, Kurama's voice echoed, "Naruto, this is the treatment Jinchuriki receive—no different from the tailed beasts. Doesn't it make you want to destroy everything?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't want to destroy everything. I just feel sad for them. But I do have the urge to leave Konoha."

"Leave?" Kurama chuckled. "With your current strength, do you think they'll let you? Jinchuriki are the village's most valuable weapons."

Naruto looked at Kurama seriously. "That's why I need to grow stronger. Only then can I control your power completely, without losing myself to it."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Even if you escape, I'm still a prisoner inside you."

Naruto smiled faintly. "Even prisoners want to see the world outside, don't they? I want to see what's out there. Besides, who says I need your power to leave?"

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