"Yo, Naruto, how was your first day at school?"

  Unable to figure out what had been done to his body, Naruto decided to set it aside for now and acted as if nothing had happened, waving at Kakashi.

  "Big bro Kakashi, you're really punctual. How about we grab some food first and then go train after eating?"

  "Well..."

  [If it's Tsukuyomi, then so be it. There's nothing I can do about it even IF I notice it now. Hey! Let's invite Kakashi to eat barbecue. That way, I can treat Hinata and save some money at the same time. Damn! I'm such a genius!]

  Kakashi was about to agree, as it was almost their usual training mealtime, but the next moment he heard Naruto's thoughts and nearly choked in anger.

  "Well, Naruto, actually, I came to tell you that I have some things to do. I just came to let you know, so I'll be leaving now."

  With that, Kakashi vanished instantly. He didn't want to be the sucker. After all, even if he dragged Naruto to train, Naruto would just sck off. Plus, it was the first day of school, so it might as well be a day off.

  "Wha... what?"

  Naruto was dumbfounded. He never expected Kakashi to pull such a move. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to foot the bill himself, while comforting himself inwardly Bringing a third wheel on a date with Hinata isn't a big deal.

  "Let's go, Hinata! We're having barbecue!"

  Naruto waved his hand grandly, appearing extremely generous. Although Hinata had been a bit puzzled earlier, she had now put all that behind her and followed Naruto to the barbecue shop.

  The streets were bustling with people when suddenly a figure blocked their path. Naruto recognized him—it was the guard he had encountered two months ago.

  "Miss Hinata, why are you out alone? The cn leader sent me to bring you back."

  "Huh? But, but..."

  Hinata lowered her head, stammering, unsure of what to do. The guard frowned and looked at Naruto. Before he could speak, Naruto took a step forward.

  "Hey, mister, I was just about to take Hinata out for barbecue. Going back can wait a bit longer."

  "Kid! What did I say? Didn't I tell you to stay away from Miss Hinata? And now, on her very first day of school, you want to take her out for barbecue? Who do you think you are?"

  Although Naruto was used to being looked down upon those words still stung deeply. A surge of anger welled up in his heart.

  "Hinata has already agreed to go with me. What right does a dog like you have to meddle here?"

  "You're asking for it!"

  Naruto's words were even more cutting. The guard's face twisted in rage, and without caring about the age difference, he struck at Naruto from a distance.

  "Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"

  Naruto's expression changed, and he immediately leaped aside. The spot where he had been standing erupted in dust. If he had been a second slower, that palm strike would have hit him.

  "Naruto-kun!"

  Seeing this, Hinata also became anxious and hurriedly shouted trying to stop the two, but Naruto had already started forming hand seals.

  "Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

  As soon as the words fell, a fierce wind howled, sending sand and stones flying, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

  The guard was startled. He never expected a six-year-old child to be capable of using such a level of ninjutsu. In that moment of distraction, Naruto had already charged at him, holding the special kunai Kakashi had given him, aiming for the guard's vital points.

  Cng!

  The kunai made a sharp cnging sound. Just as Naruto thought he had the upper hand, a Tai Chi pattern appeared beneath his feet.

  Oh no!

  Naruto inwardly cursed, wanting to retreat and create distance, but it was too te. The guard's palm had already struck his shoulder.

  "Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms!"

  Thirty-two consecutive strikes nded all over Naruto's body. Perhaps because Naruto was still a child, the strikes weren't too heavy, but each one disrupted his chakra. By the time the thirty-two strikes were finished, Naruto could barely control his chakra.

  "I never expected someone so young to have such talent, but this is as far as you go."

  Perhaps because Naruto had shown his talent, the guard's tone softened slightly.

  Naruto was extremely unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. Without the ability to control his chakra, everything was futile. Moreover, there was already a gap in strength between them. However, just as he was about to give up, a warm surge of energy emerged from his abdomen, and a massive amount of chakra poured out like a flood breaking through a dam.

  What is this? The Nine-Tails!

  Naruto was shocked by this sudden turn of events, but he knew now was not the time to be surprised. Without hesitation, he began forming hand seals.

  "Wind Release: Gale Cutter!"

  Dozens of transparent wind bdes appeared out of thin air and flew toward the guard. The guard never expected Naruto to still be able to use ninjutsu in this state and failed to react in time. The wind bdes struck him head-on, instantly creating dozens of wounds on his body, and his clothes were quickly stained with blood.

  "Ahhhhh!"

  The guard let out a scream and fell backward. Just as he tried to get up, a specially made kunai pressed against his throat, and he met Naruto's cold gaze.

  "It seems you're the one who's reached the end."

  "How... how is this possible? You shouldn't be able to use chakra anymore! What was that red chakra?"

  In that brief moment, the guard had clearly seen a surge of red chakra emerge from Naruto's abdomen through his Byakugan, which led to his defeat. But he couldn't understand what it was.

  Naruto naturally wouldn't expin, and even he himself didn't know why the Nine-Tails had chosen to help him at this moment. But that didn't matter; what mattered was that he had won.

  "As the loser, do you think you have the right to question me?"

  A cold smile curled on Naruto's lips, and his gaze turned icy. But at that moment, Hinata quickly ran to Naruto's side and grabbed his hand holding the kunai, afraid that Naruto might impulsively kill the guard.

  "Naruto-kun! I... I'm sorry! But you can't..."

  Naruto never intended to kill anyone in the first pce. Killing someone in the Leaf Vilge was far from a rational decision, especially since the other party was from the Hyuga cn. Moreover, there was no irreconcible conflict between them. The fact that the person was Hinata's guard alone made it absolutely impossible for him to resort to lethal force.

  Being chosen as Hinata's guard meant that this individual was deeply trusted by Hyuga Hiashi. Such a person could not be killed lightly, so Naruto naturally put away his kunai and instead reached out to take Hinata's hand.

  "Come on, let's go get some barbecue!"

  As if nothing had happened, Naruto led Hinata toward the barbecue restaurant.