The focus returned to Konoha Village Square.
Hinata's courageous confession and Naruto's heartfelt response had garnered the blessings and support of many.
Figures like Kakashi and Iruka felt a wave of relief wash over them.
They were genuinely happy for Naruto that someone like Hinata held such deep affection for him.
Sometimes,
Finding someone who cherishes you is a greater fortune than finding someone you solely admire.
They hoped that Naruto, despite his occasional denseness, would recognize and hold onto this precious happiness.
However, perhaps due to a darker side of human nature, or simply ugliness in their hearts,
The children who had once tormented Naruto, the adults who had always looked upon him with disdain, and those who had scorned him from his earliest years all voiced their disapproval with bitter undertones:
"It just feels… off. The Hyūga clan's heiress getting involved with an orphan like Naruto, who has no parents."
"Naruto may be strong now, but he's always been a symbol of hatred in this village. If I had a daughter, I'd never agree to her dating him."
"Besides, there's a monster sealed inside Naruto. Who in their right mind would willingly send their daughter to someone like that? You tell me, would you?"
"Absolutely not!"
This small but vocal group desperately tried to diminish Naruto, seeking a twisted sense of pleasure and superiority by belittling him.
Deep down,
They didn't want to see Naruto thrive or find happiness that they themselves lacked.
Their venomous words reached Kushina's ears, and she was on the verge of unleashing her fury upon them. But just then, the screen flickered back to life.
This time, the focus was on Naruto's lonely childhood.
[The image showed a young Naruto sitting alone on a school swing, his gaze fixed on the groups of parents outside, collecting their children to take them home. He wondered why no one ever came to take him home.
Why did all the other children have parents, while he was always alone? ]
[The scene shifted to a young Naruto walking aimlessly down the street. People visibly recoiled from him. The adults around him cast strange, hateful glances, muttering,
"That's him, isn't it? The one who killed the Fourth Hokage-sama. Stay away from that cursed child!"
He couldn't understand why they would scold him, why they hated him so much. He hadn't done anything to hurt them.]
[The image showed a young Naruto standing outside Ichiraku Ramen, the savory aroma filling the air, causing his stomach to rumble in despair. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his empty pants to reveal only four meager steel pins.
He desperately wanted a bowl of ramen, but he didn't have enough money.
He returned to his desolate apartment, lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, silent tears tracing paths down his cheeks.]
[The scene depicted him in the woods, practicing his shurikenjutsu by throwing pebbles at a makeshift target.
Why pebbles instead of actual shuriken?
Because he couldn't afford them.]
[The image showed Naruto often sitting atop the Fourth Hokage's stone head, gazing out over the entire Konoha Village, silently encouraging himself and vowing that one day, everyone would acknowledge him.]
[The screen showed Naruto standing hesitantly at the entrance of a mask shop, wanting to buy one. But the shopkeeper simply grabbed a mask and hurled it at his head, cursing him and telling him never to show his face near the shop again.
Angrily clutching the mask, he walked away. Though confused by the hostility, a small spark of happiness flickered within him. With the mask, perhaps he could finally play with the other children.]
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Sunagakure,
Gaara stared intently at the young Naruto on the screen, a painful recognition in his eyes, as if seeing a reflection of his own past.
He too had once been hated, mocked, and reviled by his village.
"Naruto… it turns out you had such a miserable life."
"Just because we are Jinchūriki… does everyone inherently despise us so much?"
"But now… I have finally been acknowledged by everyone. When will you finally receive the same?"
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Cloud Shinobi Village,
Killer B chuckled softly ashe watched the video.
Wasn't Naruto's past eerily similar to his own?
When he became the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, he was pelted with eggs in the streets and subjected to accidental abuse.
Even his closest companion had once attempted to assassinate him because of the beast within.
Jinchūriki…
The word carried a weight of undeserved suffering.
If only everyone could understand the hearts of the Jinchūriki.
Perhaps then, fewer Jinchūriki would be consumed by the Tailed Beasts due to the emptiness in their hearts.
...................
Otogakure, Orochimaru's base,
Sasuke watched the glimpses of Naruto's childhood unfold.
Comparing Naruto's tragic existence to his own, he had to admit his early years had been filled with happiness.
He had a father, a mother, and a brother who had cared for him deeply until he was seven.
However,
The pain of once possessing something precious and then losing it wasn't much different from never having possessed it at all.
Just then, Orochimaru slithered over, a sly chuckle escaping his lips. "Sasuke-kun, I believe you owe Naruto an apology."
Sasuke merely scoffed and turned away in silent defiance.
On the other side of the base, Jiraiya and Minato were still engaged in conversation.
"Jiraiya-sensei, are you going to continue watching him here?" Minato asked, his tone laced with concern.
"Yes. Too many important events are on the horizon, and Orochimaru is a key player in many of them. I need to keep a close eye on him."
"Then I'll head back for now."
Jiraiya hesitated, then said with a hint of guilt, "You've seen Naruto's childhood… but I still implore you not to unleash all your anger upon Konoha Village."
"Jiraiya-sensei, I…" Minato didn't offer any promises.
Jiraiya offered a wry smile. "Forgive me. I shouldn't interfere with your thoughts. Just be true to yourself. I've always said you'll always be my proudest student."
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Konoha Village,
As the painful realities of Naruto's childhood were laid bare,
Most of the Konoha villagers still felt no remorse.
In their minds, their treatment of him had been justified.
Some ninja and villagers continued to voice their callous opinions shamelessly:
"He should be grateful he was even allowed to live in the village!"
"What more does he want?"
"Yeah, no matter what, I'll never forgive him! My relatives died in the Nine-Tails' attack because of him! This is all Naruto's fault!"
"For a monster like Naruto, it's best if he dies early. That way, we won't have to worry about him killing so many people in the future… or corrupting Hinata, who foolishly likes him."
There were also villagers who were intimidated by Kushina's presence and dared not speak publicly, but their hearts echoed the same hateful sentiments.
They couldn't comprehend why Kushina, as the Fourth Hokage's widow, shouldn't harbor the most intense hatred for the demon fox that had killed her husband.
Why was she protecting Naruto?
At that moment,
A maelstrom of anger, self-blame, guilt, and raw fury erupted within Kushina.
Her eyes blazed crimson, and an immense wave of chakra surged from her body.
With a powerful sweep of both arms,
The Adamantine Sealing Chains slammed into the group of Konoha Village residents who had uttered those cruel words.
"All of you who have tormented Naruto… DIE!!!"
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!!!!"
...........
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