"Have you noticed something... off about the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki lately?"
At that moment—
An ANBU operative, hidden in the shadows and observing Naruto from afar, watched as the boy wandered the streets alone.
It was subtle, but just now… it felt like Naruto had been struck by some invisible force—like he suddenly woke up, and something had changed.
Another ANBU operative responded in their coded communication.
"…Yeah."
"But I can't put my finger on it."
"Something's off."
They exchanged encrypted signals—code Four-One. Group Zero.
Even after thinking it over, they couldn't pinpoint the reason.
So they simply logged the changes.
Naruto, of course, had no way of knowing the exact location of the ANBU surveillance.
But he was aware that everything he had done today had most likely been recorded.
Still, he didn't care.
Because Naruto understood something important:
Right now, he was just a brat.
An insignificant orphan.
No one would suspect anything from him.
And that... was his greatest advantage.
As long as he kept up appearances, stayed loyal to Konoha on the surface, and never showed any signs of wanting to escape or take revenge—
No one would care what he did.
That was the beauty of it.
Naruto had begun to plan—quietly, carefully.
He would take full advantage of this situation to grow stronger.
In the original timeline, Naruto acted out with pranks and mischief just to be noticed.
Because of that, he missed the best time to lay a proper foundation.
Worse still, the Nine-Tails' chakra kept interfering with his own, throwing his control into disarray.
But now...
Now, he had a chance to change that.
First, though—he needed to eat.
As Naruto walked, his stomach growled, and a realization dawned on him: the villagers refused to sell him food. That wouldn't change anytime soon.
But this was still the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Land of Fire was rich in natural resources—dense forests, flowing rivers, wild game.
Maybe, just maybe, he could catch something himself.
Of course, he didn't know the first thing about hunting...
But still—he'd rather try his luck in the woods than suffer another round of humiliation begging for food.
With that, Naruto picked up his pace and made for the outskirts of Konoha.
As he walked farther, the houses became fewer.
People disappeared.
The forest thickened, its silence replacing the noisy chatter of the village.
That's when Naruto spotted a sign up ahead:
"Training Ground No. 66."
"A training ground, huh?" he muttered.
Looking around, he saw no one—no jōnin, no genin, no civilians.
Of course, the ANBU watching him didn't count.
But more importantly—the place was ideal.
There were hills.
There was forest.
There was a stream.
Most importantly… there was privacy.
Naruto nodded to himself.
"This'll do."
He took off his outer jacket, leaving only a short-sleeved shirt, then turned toward the woods.
He'd try to catch something—anything—to eat.
He began rummaging through his memories.
Back in his previous life, he used to binge-watch wilderness survival shows.
Maybe there was something useful tucked away in that old knowledge…
Ding!
You've recalled deep survival knowledge from your previous life!
You've mastered the high-level trap-making techniques of Bear Grylls and Ed Stafford!
[Passive Skill Acquired: Expert Trap Crafting]
—You can now craft and deploy animal traps in any natural environment.
—Greatly increases your chances of a successful hunt.
Naruto suddenly felt a rush of clarity.
A flood of memories surged into his mind—countless ways to craft traps in the wild, techniques honed over lifetimes in forests, jungles, and mountains.
He felt like a seasoned hunter who had lived in the wild his entire life.
In that instant, Naruto was sure—
He could think of dozens of trapping methods on the spot.
Tailored to the season.
Matched to the prey.
But he didn't need anything too fancy right now.
Quickly settling on a simple design, Naruto headed deeper into the woods, picking up sticks, vines, and other materials.
After about half an hour of gathering and assembling...
Three basic branch traps were complete.
With the traps slung under his arm, Naruto moved deeper into the forest.
This time, he slowed down.
His eyes sharpened.
His steps became light and deliberate.
He scanned the undergrowth, carefully searching for animal tracks and signs.
He was ready to hunt.
After carefully setting his traps, Naruto placed them at regular intervals along a well-trodden animal trail.
He then looked around and gathered some strongly-scented plants and nearby soil, spreading them near the traps to mask his own scent.
And with that—
The forest traps were complete.
He figured it would take a few hours to see if any prey was caught. But Naruto wasn't the type to sit still and wait around.
He needed to make the most of his time.
Glancing around casually...
Just one glance—
And he saw it.
Fish swimming lazily in the nearby stream, glinting in the sunlight.
"Seriously?" he muttered.
Was this something he could just ignore?
Absolutely not!
Naruto made up his mind—he was going to catch some fish for dinner.
However, when he looked around, he realized there was nothing suitable to make a fishing rod. The area had plenty of branches, sure—but no fishing line. Without string, fishing from the riverbank wasn't an option.
So…
Time to get in the water.
Catching fish barehanded, though?
That wasn't going to be easy in a kid's body.
He thought hard. Maybe he could make a tool—a trap, or a net? But he had no bait, and no netting material either.
Which left him with one option:
A harpoon.
And then—
You've triggered memories from your past life—documentaries of seasoned fishermen expertly spearing fish!
You've mastered full-level spearfishing techniques!
Your chances of catching fish have greatly increased!
Suddenly, memories surged through Naruto's mind. Techniques, materials, timing, angles—it all came back to him.
He now felt like a seasoned old fisherman who'd spent decades by the river.
Without hesitation, Naruto headed back into the woods.
He found a branch that was just the right length and thickness.
Next, he located a sharp-edged stone and began shaping the tip of the branch into a crude but serviceable harpoon.
Done.
Naruto rolled up his pants and stepped into the stream.
The cold water made him shiver at first, but he quickly adapted.
Then, he crouched low, eyes scanning the water.
The techniques flowed naturally:
Stay still.
Keep your breathing steady.
Get as close to the surface as possible.
Observe the fish—its direction and speed.
Calculate the strike point carefully—aim just below the fish, accounting for light refraction.
And when the time comes?
Be steady. Be precise. Be ruthless.
A few minutes later, Naruto locked on to his first target.
He held his breath.
Then—stab!
The harpoon pierced the water cleanly, swiftly.
A perfect hit.
The fish flopped helplessly on the spear, wriggling.
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Nice!"
This meant he wouldn't need to buy food from shops that turned him away. He could provide for himself now.
In the hours that followed while he waited on the traps, Naruto continued spearfishing.
By the end, he had caught seven or eight fish, each about a pound in weight.
More than enough.
He could eat one a day for a week if he wanted.
He even stopped early—no point catching more if he couldn't preserve them.
Naruto stored the fish together in one shaded spot, then made his way back into the forest.
Time to check the traps.
The results?
Two out of three traps had succeeded.
Each one had caught a rabbit.
The hares weren't small either—each looked to be two or three kilograms.
Naruto burst into laughter.
"Heheh… Jackpot!"
Today had been a wild success.
Fresh fish, wild hares, and best of all—freedom from Konoha's cold stares and closed shop doors.
He could finally enjoy a genuine, wild-caught gourmet meal.