Naruto Uzumaki felt an inexplicable anger and sadness as he looked at his scarf, which was damaged beyond recognition.

Chiba had said that this scarf was very precious, but at first, Naruto Uzumaki hadn't taken it seriously.

But now, Naruto Uzumaki felt as if he had failed to protect something important.

"Are you... are you okay?"

Hyuga Hinata timidly asked Naruto Uzumaki, because Naruto Uzumaki's expression looked very angry right now.

Naruto Uzumaki wiped his nosebleed with his sleeve, took the scarf from Hyuga Hinata's hand, brushed off the snow and dust on it, and then carefully wrapped it around his neck again.

Naruto Uzumaki asked in a low voice, "Someone told me that everyone in the village is family. Do you think those three people just now were?"

Hearing Naruto Uzumaki's question, Hyuga Hinata froze for a moment.

Naruto Uzumaki asked again, "Do you think they are family?"

Hyuga Hinata shook her head, "No, they are not."

Naruto Uzumaki continued, "Do you know about the Will of Fire?"

Hyuga Hinata answered softly, "My father told me about it."

"Are you cultivating it then?"

"Mhm."

Hyuga Hinata nodded her small head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Even though she was already cultivating, she hadn't shown any courage just now.

Hyuga Hinata thought Naruto Uzumaki was going to scold her, but Naruto Uzumaki didn't. Instead, he asked, "Before you started cultivating, did the person who taught you force you to accept the Will of Fire?"

Hyuga Hinata thought for a moment and then shook her head again, "No one forced me."

Although no one forced Hyuga Hinata to accept the Will of Fire, Hyuga Hiashi would incessantly tell Hyuga Hinata that the heir to the Hyuga Clan's main family must cultivate very diligently.

Naruto Uzumaki's small face was solemn, and he let out a long breath, which turned into white mist due to the cold weather.

On the snow-covered ground, water droplets had created small, sunken holes.

And these water droplets were tears from Naruto Uzumaki's face.

Seeing Naruto Uzumaki crying, Hyuga Hinata immediately became flustered: "I-I'm sorry, if I said something wrong, I apologize to you. Please don't cry, okay?"

Naruto Uzumaki wiped his tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears flowed.

"It's so unfair! They said I didn't do anything wrong, but they still bullied me with them. It's all just excuses, excuses to deceive me!"

Hyuga Hinata looked at Naruto Uzumaki, at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Just then, two Hyuga Ninja appeared behind Hyuga Hinata: "Miss Hinata, it's time to return to the clan compound."

The two Hyuga Ninja frowned when they saw the crying Naruto Uzumaki, and their eyes showed disgust.

Although they knew Naruto Uzumaki was not the Nine-Tails's embodiment, they knew Naruto Uzumaki was a Jinchūriki.

During the Nine-Tails Incident, many Hyuga Ninja also died at the Nine-Tails's hands, and their hatred for the Nine-Tails was transferred to Naruto Uzumaki, who was a Jinchūriki.

Feeling that familiar gaze, Naruto Uzumaki choked back his tears and turned to run away without looking back.

Hyuga Hinata looked at Naruto Uzumaki with some sadness, feeling a little self-reproach.

Hyuga Hinata thought that she had said something wrong that made Naruto Uzumaki cry.

...

Upon returning home, Naruto Uzumaki covered himself with his blanket.

Naruto Uzumaki now felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi was a liar.

Chiba had once told him that no one would help him for no reason.

So Naruto Uzumaki believed that Hiruzen Sarutobi must have some ulterior motive for wanting to approach him.

Naruto Uzumaki suddenly crawled out from under the blanket and murmured, "Uncle Chiba must know the reason! Yes! Uncle Chiba!"

Naruto Uzumaki immediately left his home and jogged towards the forest.

Naruto Uzumaki didn't know where Chiba's home was, but at this time, he should be at the training ground where they always practiced.

Naruto Uzumaki ran into the forest, and he was right; Chiba was indeed there, teaching Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Aonagi how to cultivate.

Chiba thought Naruto Uzumaki wanted to secretly watch him teach Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Aonagi again, so he told the two to practice basics instead.

However, what Chiba didn't expect was that Naruto Uzumaki rushed directly in front of him this time.

"Uncle Chiba..."

Naruto Uzumaki was out of breath, unable to speak a complete sentence.

Chiba asked, "What's wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto Uzumaki took a deep breath and then asked, "Uncle Chiba, why does Hokage Grandpa always talk about the Will of Fire every time he comes to see me? And why do people in the village hate me? He said I didn't do anything wrong, so there must be a reason, right? And there must be some purpose, right?"

Chiba's eyes narrowed. At this moment, Chiba felt the familiar sensation of being monitored.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was already monitoring this place using the Telescope Jutsu.

However, the Telescope Jutsu could only see images, not hear sounds.

Otherwise, Chiba would have knocked Naruto Uzumaki out by now.

Chiba gazed at Naruto Uzumaki.

Clearly, the current Naruto Uzumaki had already diverged from the original timeline's Naruto.

The current Naruto had already begun to question.

Originally, Chiba thought that even if Naruto Uzumaki questioned Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Will of Fire, he would do so when he was a bit older and more mature in his thinking.

He didn't expect that Naruto, at only three years old, was already questioning, which surprised Chiba.

Chiba turned to Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Aonagi and said, "It's about time. You two go back first. I'll take Naruto home."

Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Aonagi knew that Chiba and Uzumaki Kushina cared deeply for Naruto Uzumaki.

Moreover, Uzumaki Aonagi, Uzumaki Kushina, and Naruto Uzumaki all shared the Uzumaki surname, so Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Aonagi were very certain that there was some kind of relationship between them, most likely blood relatives of the same clan.

Hyuga Neji said to Uzumaki Aonagi beside him, "Aonagi, let's go. I'll take you home. Teacher, then Aonagi and I will head back first."

Hyuga Neji took Uzumaki Aonagi's small hand and left to go home.

After Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Aonagi left, Chiba said to Naruto Uzumaki, "Naruto, I'll take you back."

Chiba started walking forward, and Naruto Uzumaki quickly followed Chiba, wanting to ask Chiba again.

However, Chiba spoke first, "Naruto, someone is monitoring this place. Don't speak. Just listen to me from now on."

Naruto Uzumaki immediately closed his mouth and looked around cautiously.

Chiba said helplessly, "Don't be so obvious. You won't find anyone. Just act as if nothing happened and follow me."

Naruto Uzumaki then restrained himself and obediently followed Chiba forward.