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Hayato had no idea, but over in Konoha, they had already dug up all his secrets. The only thing they still didn't know was just how powerful his kekkei genkai really was. And honestly, was it even a kekkei genkai? No one knew for sure.
Meanwhile, Hayato had grabbed some leaves and vines, tying them around his body. It gave off a bit of a wild man vibe—like a guy from the Shennongjia wilderness—but at least it kept the wind from chilling his "family jewels."
Back in Konoha, they tried their best to keep Hayato's situation under wraps. But the damage he caused to the ninja academy was so bad that the school had to close for a while.
Most students were stoked to get a break and just have fun. Except for one little girl, whose expression was mixed with confusion and worry—because she realized Hayato had disappeared.
That concerned girl was none other than Uzumaki Kushina. She had just accepted Hayato as her junior, but with the school shut down, she planned to find him at his home.
When she got there, she called out for him for a long time, but no answer. Growing a bit frustrated and anxious, she kicked the door open—and found the place empty.
Kushina had tried asking Hayato's neighbors, but they all looked down on him and didn't care what happened to him at all. So naturally, no one knew where he had gone.
Hayato didn't realize that right now, back in Konoha, a certain little girl was worried about him, because things weren't looking good for him at all.
In front of Hayato stood a huge, fierce tiger. Its copper-colored eyes were staring him down intently, letting out low growls every now and then.
Even though Hayato looked small and weak, he had transformed into the Hulk before and killed a bunch of people. Though he'd gone back to his small form, there was still a faint dangerous aura about him. The tiger could sense it and was wary—but it still didn't want to give up such a delicious meal that was right in front of it.
Hayato locked eyes with the tiger, fear gnawing inside, but he knew he couldn't back down—not now. If he did, the tiger would pounce immediately.
Staring at the tiger, Hayato felt nervous but also a spark of anger. Even a wild animal was picking a fight with him? Could he be any more unlucky? All he wanted was to get out of Konoha, to leave the Land of Fire behind as soon as possible.
That flicker of anger started to ignite something deep inside him. Suddenly, his body began to change, just a little. The tiger's senses were sharp, and it noticed this dangerous shift. It hesitated and took a small step back.
"Target spotted!"
While Hayato and the tiger were locked in this tense stand-off, a ninja hiding nearby—like someone born to lurk in the shadows—spotted Hayato and sent out a signal. This ninja was a member of Danzo's Root.
Hayato's body started showing a strange color, growing more dangerous. The tiger growled in frustration, leapt backward, glanced at Hayato one last time with resentment, then vanished from sight.
Seeing the tiger back off, Hayato let out a relieved breath. Even though turning into the Hulk made him strong, he didn't know what the cost was, or if there were other changes he wasn't aware of. That loss of control, the rage—it didn't feel right. So having the tiger retreat was a good thing.
"Maybe once things settle down, I should try to figure out my own secrets. That crazed transformation… it's like the Hulk from Marvel. But this isn't that world…" Hayato muttered to himself.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, a handful of shurikens and kunai flew at Hayato from behind. Before he could react, sharp pain erupted all over his body—shurikens and kunai stuck into his arms, legs, even his waist. To make things worse, he noticed that some of these weapons had explosive tags tied to them.
The Root ninjas were ruthless. They even put explosives on their weapons because of how dangerous Hayato was after turning into the Hulk in the village. They had no choice but to treat him like a top-level threat.
"Ah, damn it! You bastards! I'm gonna kill you!" Hayato roared, eyes blazing with fury as the pain from the explosives began to spread.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"....."