He hoped this little one wouldn't be too picky... he thought, placing the items one by one on the counter, then pulling out his wallet as usual, ready to pay.
"Oh, you bought so many things! Thank you for your patronage, but..."
The shop owner's voice came from behind the counter. For Naruto, this was the first time an owner had ever initiated conversation with him while shopping.
Satsuki, standing beside him, unconsciously clenched her fists... Was it finally happening? The situation she least wanted to see seemed to be unfolding.
"You absolutely don't have to pay! All these years... I'm truly very sorry! And, if there's anything else you like, just take it, no need to pay at all!"
"Eh? Wouldn't that be a bit much?" Naruto subconsciously responded; he hadn't fully adapted to this change in attitude.
"No need, thank you for your kindness," Satsuki interjected coldly, her voice devoid of warmth. "How much is it? We can afford it."
"No, really, you don't have to pay! Please just accept it! If you don't accept it..." The owner insisted.
However, Satsuki no longer wanted to listen. She grabbed Naruto's hand and turned to walk out of the store. "Forget it then, we'll go look at other shops. Let's go, Naruto."
"Eh?!"
The owner was completely stunned. Seeing the two about to leave, he hastily picked up the goods from the counter and chased after them.
"Please wait! Why won't you accept my kindness?! My past actions were indeed wrong! But you are now the Village's hero, don't fuss over these small matters with me!"
Using the title of 'hero' for moral blackmail? Satsuki's heart sank. Her greatest fear had still come true. The owner not only chased after them but also shouted loudly; these words were undoubtedly praising Naruto excessively.
Nearby villagers were attracted by the commotion and cast curious glances, gathering to watch.
"No, really, Naruto doesn't need your kindness," Naruto was about to refuse, but Satsuki spoke first, her tone still as cold as frost. "He protects you all; that's just his nature."
Moreover, behind those seemingly grateful words, Satsuki clearly heard... an imperceptible tremor in the owner's voice.
"Um, I just want to express my gratitude... Please give me this opportunity! If you don't accept it, I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life!"
"Um... the owner also means well, please accept it," a villager who had been drawn over couldn't help but step forward to persuade.
"Yes... um, actually, we also want to get to know Naruto better... Please give us a chance," another voice echoed.
A mother with a child, seeing the situation, quickly nudged her bewildered child, urging, "Quick! Quickly apologize to big brother Naruto for what happened before! Say we were wrong."
When a group bestows love for self-redemption, that love is often selfish, coercive, and non-negotiable. Satsuki looked at this scene, a wave of disgust rising in her heart.
Naruto had no idea things would develop this way. He stood still, looking somewhat at a loss. This sudden attention and kindness made him feel suffocated instead.
Satsuki lowered her head, listening to the increasingly noisy sounds around them. Those apologies and moral blackmail pricked her eardrums like needles. She took a deep breath, turned to Naruto, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I can't take it anymore."
"?"
Naruto hadn't reacted yet. The next moment, something astonishing happened—Satsuki suddenly stepped forward and landed a fierce straight punch on the owner's face!
"Bang!"
As the owner fell to the ground, covering his nose and looking at Satsuki in bewilderment, the surrounding crowd instantly fell silent due to this sudden act of violence. Everyone was dumbfounded.
"What kindness..." Cold and scathing words escaped Satsuki's lips. She surveyed the surrounding crowd. "You people are truly sickening."
"Naruto doesn't care... he selectively forgot what you did..." Her voice gradually rose, turning from cold to uncontrollable anger, her gaze fixed on the owner lying on the ground. "But! I remember it very clearly!"
Her voice echoed through the silent street, every word as if laced with ice.
"'How unlucky, I knew I shouldn't have opened today. That disgusting monster, I need to get some salt quickly'... Last time, that's what you said!"
She repeated the malicious words from her memory, her voice trembling slightly with rage.
"When you don't need someone, you can arbitrarily isolate them, dislike them, hate them, even though this person has done nothing... But when you need this person, can everything from the past be wiped away with a flimsy apology, forcibly and non-negotiably?!"
Her gaze swept over the face of every villager around her. Those faces, once filled with disgust and fear, now bore expressions of shock and guilt.
"Naruto doesn't care about these things, and he'll even protect you without hesitation in times of danger..." Her voice deepened, but carried a deeper pain and anger.
"But all these years... I've been enduring the urge to kill you all!"
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