Naruto: The new beginning

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It didn't take long for Naruto to feel a bit embarrassed as Hinata took out her small wallet and handed it to him. She really is a princess of the Hyuga clan.

Under the shopkeeper's knowing gaze, Naruto used Hinata's money to settle the bill, then continued to drag her around for more food and drinks.

Instead of being ashamed, Naruto was delighted. He even fed Hinata a snack, thinking, "Envy me, you losers!"

"Hina, don't you think the street's more crowded than usual today?" Naruto asked. According to info from one of his earlier shadow clones, this street wasn't usually this packed.

"It's probably because the Chunin Exams are coming up," Hinata replied thoughtfully, tapping her chin with a finger. "I heard that Fourth Hokage's son will be fighting in the third stage. A lot of people are coming from far away to watch."

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head, confused. He didn't realize he had so many fans. On second thought, it was likely because of his father's reputation, not his own.

Hinata turned to look at him and said softly, "Everyone's looking forward to Naruto-kun's performance."

Naruto turned his head towards her. "You too, Hinata?"

"Of course." Hinata nodded. In her heart, Naruto-kun could never lose.

Naruto sighed dramatically, "But I'm not so sure myself…"

Hinata looked puzzled. "Why not? Naruto-kun is strong."

"It's Gaara… he's not an ordinary ninja. His chakra alone is more powerful than Kakashi-sensei's," Naruto admitted. "I swear I'm telling the truth, I'd never lie to you, Hinata."

Hinata's face clouded with concern. "Stronger than Kakashi-sensei? Isn't that dangerous for you, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto smirked. "I'll give him my best shot, but if Hinata can give me a little extra motivation, I'll feel more confident."

"W-What kind of motivation?" Hinata blushed, sensing something mischievous in Naruto's tone.

"Let's make a promise," Naruto whispered in her ear, causing her face to turn visibly red.

"Since Hinata doesn't object, it's a deal!" Naruto grinned like a fox who'd stolen a chicken.

"Yes…" Hinata murmured, still blushing.

Naruto happily bought some popsicles, splitting one and handing half to Hinata. It was still her money, after all.

Hinata, for her part, was happy sharing food with Naruto, taking small bites of the popsicle and momentarily forgetting her shyness.

The two wandered around until evening when Naruto walked her back to her house. Before leaving, he gave her a light hug and went on his way.

As he walked, Naruto started thinking about his fight against Gaara. *"Gaara, this fight is mine. Not even Shukaku can protect you,"* he thought confidently.

"Hey, Kurama, what stance did you take when you beat Shukaku back in the day?" Naruto asked, patting the Nine-Tails on the chin excitedly.

Kurama shot him a scornful look. "You're just doing this to impress a girl?"

"Come on, don't put it like that. It's not just about impressing her—it's about love!" Naruto quipped.

Kurama grinned darkly. "Then deal with it yourself. I suddenly don't feel like helping."

"Hey, come on! It's totally normal to be your bro's wingman. And if you like some vixen in the future, I'll return the favour"

"Get lost."

"Okay, okay." Naruto climbed onto Kurama's back and rolled around comfortably. "Alright, I'm done rolling. How about we practice tomorrow?"

Kurama's answer was a heavy smack of his tail, which Naruto barely dodged. "You're just like those oxen swatting flies with their tails," Naruto teased.

"Oxen?! Who are you calling an ox, brat?"

And so, Naruto was promptly sent flying by the Nine-Tails' swat.

…

Meanwhile, back in the Sunagakure village's desert, things were far more serious.

Orochimaru, Guren, and the Sound Four stood in a circle. Six bodies lay between them—one of them, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

Barely clinging to life, Rasa weakly raised his head. "Why…?"

Orochimaru's long, snake-like tongue flicked out, licking his lips as he answered in a hoarse voice, "I've always been after the life of the Third Hokage. Your only interest was personal gain. Our goals were never the same. I merely needed to use the power of Sunagakure. Now that the village's forces have been deployed, your continued existence would be a hindrance."

Rasa tried to rise but collapsed. "I won't let you—"

Before he could finish, a red crystal spike pierced his heart. Guren coldly declared, "No one can stand in Lord Orochimaru's way."

Guren, a kunoichi with the Crystal Release kekkei genkai, could form red crystals to create weapons—or crystallize enemies and shatter them like glass. 

One of Orochimaru's candidates for a new body, her greatest desire was to merge with him. Another tragic soul kidnapped and brainwashed by the Snake Sannin.

If this were a video game, an achievement notification would probably pop up: *"Congratulations to Team Orochimaru for killing the Fourth Kazekage! [Orochimaru: Fourth Kazekage Skin Unlocked]."*

After taking some samples of Rasa's hair and tissue, a large white bird circled overhead before swooping down.

Sai jumped off its back and greeted Orochimaru with a smile. "Orochimaru-senpai, I've brought a message from Danzo-sama."

He handed Orochimaru a scroll.

"Oh? Danzo's messenger?" Orochimaru smiled, but suddenly flung a kunai at Sai, who exploded into a pool of ink, the scroll dropping to the ground.

Guren carefully picked it up, inspected it for traps, and then handed it to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru opened the scroll, and he looked off into the distance. "It's rather impolite to use a clone for communication."

From a hidden bunker, the real Sai emerged, still smiling. "I had to be cautious, considering I'm dealing with the legendary Orochimaru."

"Lose that fake smile," Orochimaru said coldly as he read the scroll. His smile slowly widened into a smirk. "Interesting. Optimizing the village's barrier system to this degree… as expected from the Uzumaki Clan."

He then added, "And Tsunade has returned… it's been a while."

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