"This should be the place."
After leaving the Hyuga Clan Compound, Naruto did not immediately return to his apartment.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he transferred to a distant, secluded corner and quickly removed his disguise.
Naruto's control over Wind Release was not yet sufficient to sustain flight; he could only simply lift himself straight up and down.
He could still put on a show to fool people, or throw a large Rasenrigan and escape.
The black robe and fox mask were put away, and the Ice Sword dissipated.
A moment later, Uzumaki Naruto, back in his everyday clothes and with his golden hair, appeared in another area of Konoha.
This was one of the temporary residential areas the Village had allocated for the various Ninja Villages participating in the Joint Chunin Exams.
Compared to the independent courtyard arranged for Sunagakure, the accommodations for some smaller Ninja Villages were much simpler.
Naruto stopped in front of a rather ordinary, even somewhat old, two-story row house. The sign hanging at the entrance indicated that this was the barracks for the Genin team from Kusagakure of the Land of Grass.
The military strength and attitude of a Village were equivalent to its international status and treatment.
Hidden Sand Village, being a Ninja Village of the Five Great Nations, had the best accommodation conditions, followed by Hidden Rain Village, which produced Hanzou.
The outside world did not yet know the news of Hanzou's death. Therefore, although Hidden Rain Village was a Ninja Village of a smaller country, it received the same treatment as Hidden Sand Village.
Although Kusagakure was an ally of Konoha, a fickle group like them, who lacked strength and had previously betrayed Konoha, did not deserve such good accommodation and lacked the funds, so they could only make do here.
It was late and quiet. Most other rooms had their lights off; only a room at the end of the first floor emitted a faint light.
Furthermore, low, yet malicious, shouting and cursing faintly emanated from within, sounding particularly grating in the silent night.
Naruto silently approached the window emitting light, turned slightly sideways, and peered inside through a gap in the curtains.
The room was sparsely furnished, containing only basic beds, tables, and chairs.
Two young boys, who appeared quite young and wore Kusagakure headbands and uniforms, were viciously surrounding a girl curled up in the corner.
The girl looked even younger than Naruto, small and thin, and was wearing slightly oversized new clothes bought for her before the trip.
Kusagakure still cared about appearances; they couldn't possibly let her represent the Village wearing rags, could they?
Most striking was her hair, which appeared exceptionally vivid red even in the dim light.
Like burning flames, that was the signature hair color of the Uzumaki Clan!
At that moment, one of the Kusagakure boys was forcefully pulling the girl's red hair, pressing her toward the floor, and cursing obscenely: "You still want to run? You think you can turn things around just because you're in Konoha? Dream on!"
The other boy stood by, arms crossed, sneeringly agreeing: "Exactly! The Uzumaki Clan is long extinct! Konoha watched as Uzushiogakure was destroyed and didn't help. Where do you think your clan members are? Stop having foolish fantasies!"
The boy pulling her hair yanked harder, and the girl let out a stifled groan of pain.
"Just like your short-lived mother, just be a good Blood Bag! Don't try any tricks to escape. If there's a next time, we'll break your legs!"
The window was gently tapped.
"Tap, tap."
The sound was soft, yet it caused the two abusive Kusagakure boys to stop abruptly and look toward the window with alarm.
The window was slowly slid open by a hand wearing a black glove.
Outside the window, the blonde boy stood expressionless. His blue eyes shone astonishingly bright in the darkness, as if two clusters of deep blue flames were quietly burning.
His gaze passed over the two Kusagakure boys, landing directly on the red-haired girl in the corner for a moment, before slowly shifting back to the faces of the two boys.
At the corner of his mouth, he even curled a line that was extremely cold, completely contrary to his usual sunny demeanor.
"Hey, hey."
Naruto's voice was strangely calm, yet it carried a chilling quality.
"I think I just heard you..."
His gaze, like a physical blade, scraped across the faces of the two boys.
"...mention the 'Uzumaki Clan,' right?"
The two Kusagakure boys felt their hearts clench due to Naruto's sudden intervention and the terrifying aura he exuded.
They released the red-haired girl's hair, quickly exchanged glances, and both saw wariness and unease in the other's eyes.
This was Konoha, and they were, after all, outsiders, so they were naturally cautious about their actions.
Although the blonde kid in front of them didn't look old, his gaze and aura were definitely not comparable to those of an ordinary Genin.
"Who are you?"
The boy who had been pulling the hair demanded weakly, putting himself into a defensive posture subconsciously.
"Are you from Konoha? Stop meddling! This is an internal matter for Kusagakure!"
"Internal matter?"
Naruto repeated the phrase in a low voice, the cold curve of his lips deepening slightly.
He didn't answer the question, nor did he even look at the boy who had spoken again.
No hand signs, no warning.
Naruto's figure vanished from the window like a ghost.
Divine Sky Strike: Raging Thunder.
The sound of thunder erupted right next to the two Kusagakure boys' ears, accompanied by the sudden burst of violent, scalp-numbing lightning.
Naruto's palms were, at some unknown point, entirely enveloped in dazzling, deep blue Lightning Release Chakra.
This was no ordinary Lightning Release; the Chakra was highly condensed and compressed, and the jumping electric arcs made a crackling sound, illuminating his cold face and his blue eyes burning with fury.
The two Kusagakure boys didn't even have time to make any effective reaction. They only saw lightning light filling their vision, followed instantly by an irresistible numbness and searing pain spreading throughout their bodies!
"Ugh!"
The short scream abruptly cut off.
Naruto's palms, carrying the fierce power of the lightning, were pressed onto the chests of the two boys, respectively.
There was no scene of blood and gore, but the violent Lightning Release Chakra, like countless fine needles, instantly penetrated their clothes and physical defenses, striking directly at their internal organs and nerves.
The two boys convulsed violently as if struck by a massive hammer. Their eyes rolled back, and saliva drooled from their mouths due to muscle loss of control. Then, like two heaps of mud, they slumped softly onto the floor, having lost consciousness.
Tiny electric arcs occasionally jumped on their bodies, making a faint "zzzt" sound.
Silence returned to the room, leaving only the faint smell of scorching and the residual ozone scent of the Lightning Release hanging in the air.
Naruto didn't even glance at the two unconscious figures on the floor, acting as if he had merely swatted two buzzing flies.
He slowly retracted the lightning light from his palms and turned around.
His gaze finally landed fully on the small, red-haired girl in the corner.
The girl seemed stunned by everything that had just happened in a flash. She was huddled there, hugging her knees, tear streaks visible on her dirty little face. Her large eyes were filled with fear, confusion, and a hint of disbelief.
She looked at Naruto, her body trembling slightly, unsure if it was due to the previous beating or the terrifying strength displayed by the strange blonde boy before her.
The coldness on Naruto's face rapidly melted away like snow under the spring sun.
He took a deep breath, trying hard to make his expression softer, although the excitement and searching look in his eyes were still clearly visible.
He slowly extended his right hand toward the girl, careful not to cause her any more fear.
Naruto's voice also became much gentler.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto."
Although he already knew, he paused, his blue eyes fixed on the girl's eyes, which held panic and a trace of hidden hope, and asked softly:
"Are you... also a member of the Uzumaki Clan?"