Naruto: Freeloading is Great! [2]

A snow-laden forest path in the village.

Here stood a little girl with short black hair, her eyes pure white without pupils.

“You’re from the Hyūga Clan, right? Hurry up and use your Byakugan for us to see.”

“Those creepy eyes… they’re disgusting.”

“Monster~!”

At the moment, the little girl was surrounded and bullied by three boys.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of guilt on their faces for picking on someone so weak and innocent. All three wore only looks of disgust as they stared at the Hyūga girl.

The girl seemed timid, her head lowered the whole time, too afraid to speak.

Just as she didn’t know what to do, she got lucky—someone was running this way.

The newcomer was a blond boy, and behind him was a silver-haired boy, who seemed to be holding a kunai.

“Bastard! Get your ass back here!”

“If I stop, Hoshino, will you let me off and let me live with you?”

“…In your dreams! No matter what, today I’m going to stab you for pulling that cheap stunt on me!!”

“Then how the hell am I supposed to stop! I don’t want to die——!!”

Unfortunately, the blond boy wasn’t some kind of hero—he was more like prey on the run.

Naruto, fleeing for his life, kept glancing back to see how much distance was between himself and Hoshino. Because of that, he didn’t notice the road ahead and crashed headfirst into the three boys.

Naruto and the three bullies all cried out “Wah!” at the same time and tumbled into the snow.

Luckily, with snow everywhere, no one was hurt, not even scratched.

The lead bully snapped out of it first. Enraged, he grabbed Naruto by the collar, raising a fist.

“You red-hatted idiot! You got no eyes or what? Were you picking a fight with us on purpose?!”

Before his fist could fall, the silver-haired boy chasing Naruto suddenly cut in coldly:

“Hey. You cocky little punk. You… trying to steal my prey?”

Hoshino’s crimson eyes seemed to glow with a terrifying red light, like a demon radiating killing intent.

“M-murderer!!!” ×3

Whatever horrifying image they conjured in their minds, the three boys scrambled up from the snow and ran faster than they’d ever run in their lives.

After scaring them off, Hoshino slowly approached Naruto, kunai in hand.

“Any last words?”

“...H-Hoshino-dono, is it possible… that I don’t have to die?”

Naruto, trembling all over, asked the question weighing most on his heart.

What he got in return was Hoshino’s cold chuckle.

Just as Hoshino was about to bring the kunai down onto Naruto’s head, the Hyūga girl suddenly whispered in a tiny voice:

“Um… th-thank you!”

Only then did Hoshino and Naruto realize—oh, there was actually someone else here.

They glanced at the girl, then ignored her, turning back to their own business.

Naruto was busy struggling, Hoshino busy trying to beat him into a mummy.

“…I was ignored. They actually ignored me.”

The girl looked as though she’d suffered a heavy blow, clutching her chest with a muffled “oof.”

“I didn’t expect someone your age to already be committing murder.”

Just before Hoshino’s kunai could slash Naruto’s face, his wrist was grabbed firmly by someone else.

The one who stopped him was a black-haired man, eyes the same as the little girl’s.

After halting Hoshino’s “murder,” the Hyūga man turned toward the girl.

“Ojou-sama, are you unharmed?”

“N-no, I’m fine…”

Hearing her answer, the man let out a breath of relief, then lifted Hoshino clean off the ground and spoke in a deep voice:

“Little brat, so after killing the demon fox, you even want to murder the Hyūga clan’s heiress!?”

Hoshino was stunned.

Heaven and earth as witness, he’d only been scaring Naruto with a kunai!

“K-Kūsū, it’s not what you think, th-that silver-haired boy…”

The girl tried anxiously to explain for Hoshino, but her voice was still as tiny as a mosquito’s.

Too bad the man didn’t hear her at all, keeping his eyes locked on Hoshino.

“Plotting against our Hyūga heiress, silver-haired brat… You’re coming with me to face the clan head’s judgment. Don’t think being young excuses you.”

Only then did the man notice the girl seemed to want to say something. He quickly turned to her:

“Ojou-sama, did you have instructions for me?”

For some reason, the girl’s little face flushed pink. Murmuring to herself take silver-haired onii-san to see Father?—her blush deepened until she turned away, too flustered to meet his eyes.

“...That silver-haired onii-san called Hoshino… he really, r-really did try to kill me just now. You must take him… home with us! But Kūsū, you must be careful—don’t use too much force.”

How the hell could this Hyūga brat flip truth and falsehood and frame him like that?!

Hoshino’s mouth dropped so wide it could’ve fit a whole egg.

Seeing Hoshino about to be hauled off, Naruto—though he didn’t quite understand what was happening—rushed to speak for him:

“I don’t know what Hoshino did wrong, but you absolutely can’t take him away! If Hoshino gets taken, then… then…”

But halfway through, Naruto’s voice trailed off. He sneaked a glance at Hoshino. Then another glance at the kunai in Hoshino’s hand.

A horrible premonition struck Hoshino.

“That’s right——!! This silver-haired murder demon, he not only tried to kill me, he also tried to kill the white-eyed girl! He’s a villain of the highest order—heinous, monstrous, unforgivable! Take him away! Take him away, quick!!”

He said it. The little bastard actually bore false witness just to avoid being beaten half to death!

“UZUMAKI NARUTO——!!!”

Hoshino’s voice, burning with rage, made Naruto shiver.

Guilty, Naruto copied the Hyūga girl, turning his head away and not daring to meet Hoshino’s eyes.

With both the girl’s false accusation and Naruto’s testimony, the Hyūga man was even more convinced Hoshino was dangerous. Without another word, he picked Naruto up with his free hand, preparing to head back with the girl.

“Uh—uh…?” ×2

The girl and Naruto both blurted out in confusion, not understanding why the man was taking Naruto too.

“Don’t worry. Once you testify before the clan head, I’ll let you go.”

“You’re grabbing me just to be a witness…? T-that’s not what I expected at all! Let me go! I’ve gotta catch birds later—if I’m late, there won’t be lunch or dinner today! Let me go—! Let me go!!”

As they say, fortune turns like a wheel: some rejoice, some despair.

Just a second ago, Hoshino had been gnashing his teeth in fury. Now, he turned a sinister grin toward Naruto.

“Heh, heh heh heh… you brat, you tried to frame me? Fine, let’s suffer together! I’ll tell you this—today, even if you kneel and call me father, I won’t spare you a single feather to eat! Prepare to starve!!”

“N-no, please don’t——!!!”

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T/N: Kousou or Kūsū i wanna make myself look cooler so ill do Kūsū hehehehe

This is a fan translation of 火影之软饭真好吃 by 肾亏能力者 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!