The morning sun slowly rose, casting gentle rays of light.
On the branch of a large tree, Raiden slowly opened his eyes.
Sleeping under the open sky like this—he was already used to it.
"Time to look for a job."
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard the faint sound of metal clashing nearby.
Looking down—
He saw a young girl practicing with shuriken.
"Who's there?!"
The girl was extremely alert.
Raiden had only shifted slightly after waking up—
Yet she immediately detected him and, without hesitation, flung a shuriken toward him!
Facing the incoming attack, Raiden was startled.
Not because of the attack itself—
But because someone actually dared to attack him.
That was something he had never experienced before.
At the moment of danger, the instinctive aura within his body surged forth.
That—
Was what truly shocked him.
If he hadn't reacted in time—
If his aura had counterattacked—
He couldn't even imagine the consequences.
Perhaps… another massive crater would appear.
Or worse—
Everything within a hundred-mile radius would be reduced to dust.
"Good thing I reacted in time… Does she realize she almost destroyed her own village?"
Raiden couldn't help but complain inwardly.
If he hadn't restrained himself—
Half of Konoha might've been wiped out.
And then—
Wouldn't he be treated as a monster again?
After suppressing his aura, Raiden simply tilted his head slightly—
Dodging the shuriken with ease.
He then looked at the girl.
She wore training attire, had light purple hair, and pale white eyes.
At this moment, she looked tense.
She was none other than Hinata Hyuga, the young lady of the Hyuga clan.
"Who are you? An intruder?"
Seeing that Raiden bore no Konoha insignia, Hinata immediately became vigilant.
To her, someone hiding in a tree without any identification—
Could only be an intruder.
"Don't misunderstand. I was just sleeping in this tree. I'm a resident of Konoha," Raiden said calmly.
He had no interest in fighting.
He hated it—
Because it was too boring.
Aside from his master, no one had ever been able to fight him.
Not even withstand a single punch.
"A resident of Konoha? I've never seen you before. Which family are you from?"
Hinata asked seriously, though her voice carried a trace of nervousness.
"My name is Raiden. Kakashi brought me here."
As he spoke, Raiden stepped off—
Dropping from several meters high.
When he landed—
There wasn't even the slightest indentation in the ground.
"An expert!"
Hinata's pupils contracted.
Anyone who could do that was definitely a master.
His movement technique was far too refined.
In reality—
Raiden was simply restraining himself to avoid causing damage.
"Konoha doesn't have anyone like you. You don't bear any insignia and were hiding in a tree. You must not be a good person. Come with me to the security force!"
"No. Too troublesome."
With that, Raiden turned and walked away.
Though afraid, Hinata's sense of responsibility pushed her to act.
"You don't get a choice—Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Palm!"
She attacked immediately, her expression serious.
In contrast—
Raiden found it utterly boring.
"Girls are such a hassle…"
He muttered.
In the next instant—
He vanished like a ghost.
Hinata's attack hit nothing but air.
"So fast!"
Her tension reached its peak as she activated her Byakugan.
The moment her vision sharpened—
She froze.
In that brief instant—
Raiden had already moved a hundred meters away.
Without the Byakugan, she wouldn't even be able to see him.
"Who… is he? So strong!"
"No… I have to stop him!"
Determined, Hinata immediately gave chase.
—
In the distance—
Raiden muttered to himself.
"Am I really that unwelcome? Such a cute girl, and she attacks me on sight… though, someone daring to fight me is kind of interesting."
As he spoke, he had already arrived at Konoha's streets.
"A beautiful day begins. Time to find a job and eat my way through Konoha!"
Raiden smiled to himself.
But just then—
A familiar voice rang out again.
Hinata.
She stood before him, tense, in a fighting stance.
Despite her gentle nature, she suppressed her fear in the face of an enemy.
"This young lady is quite pretty… so why is she acting like a clingy follower?"
Raiden felt speechless.
"Tell me! Who are you really?!" Hinata demanded.
Though it was early morning, many people were already out.
Seeing the scene, they gathered around.
"Isn't that Hinata from the Hyuga clan?"
"Does she have a grudge against Raiden?"
Many villagers recognized Raiden.
After all, he had helped clean up the "disaster" debris just yesterday.
"I've already answered. I don't like repeating myself. Stop bothering me."
Raiden replied coldly.
At that moment—
Hinata felt a fear rising from the depths of her soul.
Just then, several members of the Hyuga clan passed by.
"Lady Hinata, what's going on?"
Seeing her in a combat stance, they rushed over.
"Uncle… this person is suspicious. I found him hiding in a tree while I was training in the forest. I chased him all the way here," Hinata explained quickly.
"An intruder? An assassin?"
The Hyuga shinobi immediately became alert.
"You people are really annoying. I was just sleeping in a tree, and now I'm being chased for no reason."
Raiden grew impatient.
Finding a job and eating delicious food—
That was his goal.
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, we'll hand you over to the security force. They'll determine the truth."
Without hesitation, two Hyuga chunin attacked.
"Stay calm… I need to control myself. I can't get angry just because people are causing trouble."
"If I lose my temper… this village might disappear instantly."
"And then… I won't get to eat any delicious food."
Raiden kept reminding himself.
His anger—
Would mean disaster.
While he restrained himself—
The Hyuga shinobi struck him repeatedly for several seconds, then retreated.
"I've sealed his tenketsu with Gentle Fist. He can't move now," they said confidently.
"Uncle, amazing!" Hinata said with admiration.
But at that moment—
Raiden spoke, as if nothing had happened.
"I don't feel like wasting words with you. Stop following me. If you keep this up, the consequences are on you."
With that, he turned and left.
The Hyuga members stood frozen—
Fear filling their hearts.
"He can still talk? Still move? I clearly sealed his tenketsu… and this fear… what is this feeling?"
The attacking Hyuga shinobi's eyes widened in disbelief.