Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 298 Hidden Scars

The villagers were stunned into silence by Zuo Yue's sudden anger and her undisguised hostility. One of the female villagers turned extremely pale and instinctively tried to quietly slip away from the crowd, trying to escape this humiliating scene.

"stop!"

Satsuki's cold voice rang out, and she immediately pointed to the female villager who was trying to slip away.

"Just now! You were the one who said... you wanted to 'learn more' about Naruto, right?" Satsuki's tone was full of sarcasm. "What a coincidence... your child is in the same year as us at the Ninja Academy..."

She paused, then repeated the harsh words she remembered, word by word, "'Why did God give that fox demon brat such high ninja talent? This world is so unfair.'—I've heard you say those words countless times when I picked the kids up from school!"

Did you think time could wash everything away? Did you think whispered slander would go unnoticed? Zuo Yue's heart burned with rage. I remember it all, every word, every single one, along with your ugly faces back then!

Under the intense gaze of the surrounding crowd, the female villager's cheeks flushed crimson, then turned deathly pale. She never imagined that the gossip she had shared years ago would be remembered so clearly by this little girl from the Uchiha clan, and so blatantly exposed in front of everyone.

Zuo Yue didn't stop. Her voice trembled slightly with excitement as more fragments of memories flooded her mind, turning into words as sharp as blades.

"'Monster! He's the one who killed the Fourth Hokage... What bad luck to run into him on the road! Does he spread diseases?"

"Why is that fox spirit able to become a ninja? If that kind of guy became a ninja, he would definitely defect from the village!"

"Don't play with him! He's a guy who has no parents to discipline him, that's why he doesn't know his own limitations..."

She repeated the malicious and prejudiced whispers that had once surrounded Naruto, her eyes growing colder with each word.

"I've always remembered it perfectly! The voice that cursed 'monster' in the crowd back then, and the voice that shouts 'hero' now, clearly come from the same mouth!"

Satsuki became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving violently, and tears welling uncontrollably in her eyes. Why... why can you so easily forget the harm you inflicted? Why can you so readily demand forgiveness?

Naruto was completely stunned. He had never seen Satsuki so emotionally distraught and so fiercely defend him. In his memory, she had always been calm and proud.

"Not being expected of by any of you, not being understood, and then being accused of unfounded crimes... When Naruto was a child... back then, even if he just wanted to buy something, you would insult him and chase him away like flies..."

Her voice choked with emotion as she recalled the image of Naruto as a child, roughly pushed out of the shop by the shop owner, yet trying to pretend he didn't care. Her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain almost suffocating her.

"Why? Why does he have to protect people like you?!"

"He even...stopped me when I wanted to teach you a lesson..." Recalling Naruto's somewhat helpless yet unusually carefree smile at the time, Satsuki's voice broke down, "He smiled and said...that he didn't care...so...so..."

"The wounds are still bleeding... Are you in such a hurry to use the name of 'gratitude' to rub salt into those unhealed wounds?!" She practically shouted these words.

"In the past, you hated Naruto, the 'Demon Fox'... Now, you want Naruto, the 'Hero', to forgive you..."

Her gaze swept over every face, whether it was one of shame, embarrassment, or defiance, and finally, she asked with all her might.

"'Monster'... 'Hero'... But where is the real Naruto? The real Naruto who ignored your disgust and chose to save people simply because of his kind nature?! Where is he?! What is he in your eyes?!"

"As the perpetrator and the one who was saved, stop putting on that disgusting act of wanting to understand each other! Don't go too far with kind people!"

After saying this, Zuo Yue grabbed Naruto's hand tightly from behind, ignoring all the complicated gazes around her, and resolutely walked straight out of the crowd without looking back. The villagers, who were completely intimidated by her aura and words, did not dare to step forward to stop her, and could only silently make way for her.

------

Naruto and Satsuki disappeared completely around the street corner, and the crowd slowly began to quiet down. Some people, feeling utterly ashamed, lowered their heads and quietly slipped away.

The remaining people gathered in twos and threes, their faces showing complex emotions, and began to whisper among themselves.

"What should we do now..." A middle-aged man's face was filled with unease and regret.

"Sigh...maybe we should wait and see. Going there now will only make things more awkward." His companion sighed.

"But... we can't... ask us all to be hung up as atonement, can we?" a woman muttered softly, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied with Satsuki's harsh accusations.

"Lord Naruto probably wouldn't ask for that... but the Uchiha girl next to him might be a different story." Another person added worriedly, his gaze still fixed on the direction the two had left in.

At that moment, a slightly sharp voice interjected, "But that Uchiha clan member can't represent all of Naruto-sama's thoughts, can she? We want to apologize, does she have to be so nosy? Maybe she's just jealous that we can get closer to Naruto-sama...?!"

"Bang!"

Before he could finish speaking, the outspoken villager received a solid punch to the face! The force sent him flying backward, crashing into the wall beside him, and he passed out without even uttering a sound.

"Who is it?!"

"Are you alright?!"

A commotion and panic erupted in the crowd. They hurriedly dragged the unconscious man away from the wall, looking around in disbelief, trying to find the person who had suddenly attacked them.

However, as they looked around, everyone on the other side wore similar expressions of bewilderment and surprise, and they couldn't find anyone who looked like they had taken action.

Not far away, in the shadows of a secluded alley.

Kushina Uzumaki, who had been secretly following her son and suppressing the urge to approach him and acknowledge him, had only intended to take a quick look and leave quietly. Now, however, she could no longer contain the turmoil within her. She covered her mouth tightly, as if only in this way could she stop the agonizing cry that was about to burst from her throat.

An urge to burst into tears surged through her imprisoned soul like a tsunami. However, her resurrected body couldn't even shed a single tear.

If the soul could break free from this dusty body, even without a physical form, Kushina's soul would have already wept rivers of tears.

She was initially pleased and happy that her child had such a beautiful friend, a lovely pet, and seemed to be living a relatively peaceful life...

However, just now, Zuoyue's heart-wrenching accusations shattered the "peaceful life" she had envisioned.

The raw, unvarnished details of her childhood, filled with isolation, insults, and prejudice, pierced her heart as a mother.

So... my child... lived such a life after I and Minato left...?

That brief moment of relief was ruthlessly shattered by reality, replaced by boundless heartache, anger, and overwhelming guilt!

Kushina slowly stood up, her movements stiff from the intense emotional impact, and walked in the opposite direction from where Naruto had left.

She knew it was impulsive, but an uncontrollable rage burned in her chest, and if she didn't do this, Kushina's soul would never find peace!

She's heading to the Hokage Building now!