More than half a year had passed...
Naruto stared at the fish flopping in the bucket and swallowed hard. The meager allowance given by the Third Hokage wasn't nearly enough to cover his daily needs, and the villagers clearly despised him.
Although Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, often helped him out with free meals, living solely on ramen wasn't sustainable. It certainly wasn't nutritious.
After learning how to refine chakra, and with the support of his Heaven Rewards Diligence ability, Naruto's physical strength had already far surpassed that of other children his age.
Still, he made sure never to reveal his true power—what he showed was only about one-tenth of his actual strength.
Even so, the ANBU watching him from the shadows had already deemed him a genius.
"Fire Style: Small Fireball Jutsu!"
Naruto skillfully executed the low-level fire release technique. Despite being an actual ninjutsu, the fireball was no larger than a fist—more of a toy than a weapon.
He had repeatedly pestered the Third Hokage for a technique and, finally, Hiruzen relented and gave him this harmless jutsu. Citing the dangers of ninjutsu, the Hokage insisted Naruto would only receive proper instruction after enrolling in the Ninja Academy.
But thanks to his Heaven Rewards Diligence, Naruto had already mastered this jutsu to an advanced degree.
He'd even modified it—expanding the fireball's size and output to approach that of the Uchiha clan's famed Great Fireball Jutsu. While he hadn't seen the real technique firsthand, he still remembered it vividly from his previous life's memories.
This so-called harmless fire release could indeed be deadly—just not to elite shinobi. On the battlefield, the Uchiha's Great Fireball Jutsu had been both feared and respected.
Naruto had also come to understand the reality of this world more clearly—it was far crueler than the anime had shown. Not all shinobi were strong or heroic.
Most were just Genin.
Using the Mind's Eye of Kagura, Naruto could already sense the chakra signatures around him. And surprisingly, many Genin—and even some Chūnin—had chakra levels lower than his, despite his limited refining.
Still, he could control his chakra with ease. If the Nine-Tails didn't interfere, Naruto believed his chakra control was already on par with Sakura's when she graduated from the Academy.
Unfortunately, advancing to more complex techniques like tree climbing or water walking wasn't realistic—not without a proper teacher.
But that didn't stop Naruto from doing what he could. His chakra control had reached the level where he could subtly channel chakra without being noticed by the ANBU.
Like now—he used the Small Fireball Jutsu not for training, but to roast fish.
Sprinkling some homemade seasoning, crafted from memories of his previous life, Naruto took a bite.
"Roasting Technique +5!"
He grinned.
Over the past few months, he'd been regularly hunting wild game. With his improved diet and physical training, his body developed quickly.
Now, nearing his fifth birthday, Naruto looked more like a six or seven-year-old. But he knew the credit didn't go to genetics alone—it was mostly thanks to Heaven Rewards Diligence.
In the original timeline, Naruto had been short and scrawny—mostly because he lived off spoiled or expired food.
This Naruto, with an adult's mind, refused to eat anything questionable.
As he sat and enjoyed his roasted fish, Naruto suddenly spotted the Third Hokage approaching.
Putting on a cheerful face, he called out, "Grandpa Third! Did you come to give me this month's living expenses?"
The Hokage: "..."
"I came to check on how you're doing, Naruto," Hiruzen said with his usual kind expression.
"Are you roasting fish?"
He made a show of smiling warmly.
Naruto stared at the man's face, feeling only revulsion at the hypocrisy.
If you didn't come here to give me money, then why? To eat my food?
Don't think I don't know—you were probably informed of my location the moment I got here, yet now you pretend to have just stumbled across me.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen reached over, grabbed the fish Naruto had been roasting, and took a bite.
To his surprise—it was good. Better than he expected.
He hadn't thought Naruto would have such a skill.
"Say, Naruto," the Hokage said casually, "Why don't you go into the village and play with the other children?"
The Third Hokage wore his usual benevolent smile.
"Grandpa Third, the kids in the village don't like me. They call me a demon fox," Naruto said, lowering his head, voice soft. "So… I don't really like playing in the village."
Then, with a bright grin, he added, "But Grandpa Third is the best! You always give me money and tasty food!"
Hiruzen: "…"
Is this kid just after my wallet?
"Ahem. Naruto, how about I send you to the Ninja Academy next year?" the Hokage suggested with a cough. "You'll be able to make lots of friends there."
"Really? I can make friends?" Naruto asked, eyes wide. But then he quickly shook his head and smiled again. "On second thought, having Grandpa Third is enough! I want to become an amazing Hokage—just like you!"
His face turned red, as if he were genuinely excited.
"Hahaha! Naruto, becoming Hokage is no easy task," the old man chuckled. "But remember—where the Will of Fire dances, the flame of hope burns bright! When the leaves fall, they nourish the roots… and from the roots, new life blossoms…"
Naruto smiled, but inwardly, he snorted.
Then why, old man, did you never step onto the battlefield? After the Nine-Tails attacked the village, all you did was push the beast away. No counterattack. No action. Why? Because you were afraid of dying?
You talk about protecting the village and guiding the next generation—but why are children barely out of diapers being sent into war?
Still wearing his grandfatherly expression, Hiruzen reached into his robes and pulled out a small envelope.
"This is your living expense. Use it wisely, Naruto. I'll come check on you again soon."
Naruto took the money eagerly.
"Two thousand ryō!"
With the fifteen hundred he still had from before, that made thirty-five hundred ryō—enough for a few bowls of Ichiraku Ramen.
Not that he could spend it on much else.
After finishing off the last of the roasted fish, Naruto packed up his things and began walking home.
He always returned late—when the streets were emptier. He didn't want to see those hateful stares, or feel the heavy malice from the villagers.
Honestly, he thought, I don't know how the Naruto from the original story endured all that without turning bitter or breaking down completely.
The following days passed in steady training.
As he got older, Naruto began dabbling in Taijutsu development—though always in secret.
He wanted to see if he could create something like the Six Powers (Rokushiki) from the One Piece world. With his Heaven Rewards Diligence ability, he felt it was possible.
He hadn't succeeded yet, but the gradual improvements were there. His stats were rising.
The mental prompts confirming his progress gave him hope.
Naruto guessed the Six Powers required an incredibly solid physical foundation—something he hadn't built up quite yet. Still, step by step, he was getting stronger.
The year came to an end.
As usual, Naruto spent the day training and returned home in the evening. Winter had arrived in full force. Heavy snow blanketed Konoha, and the sky was already dim by the time he passed through the outer streets.
Then he heard it.
"Look at that! That monster has white eyes!"
"Yeah! Let's hit her with snowballs! Stupid Byakugan freak!"
Naruto's ears twitched. He turned toward the commotion.
A group of three or four boys were surrounding a small girl, pushing her and jeering.
This scene… it's familiar…
Naruto narrowed his eyes. Isn't this that moment from the original story? The one where I played the hero and got my ass kicked?
Not this time.
"Hey! You little punks, cut it out!"
Naruto stepped forward and stood between them. His tone was light, but his gaze was sharp. "I have to step in… after all, she's my future wife."
"Hah? It's the demon fox!"
"What, you trying to protect the Byakugan freak too?"
"Hmph, a demon fox and a white-eyed monster! What a perfect match. Let's teach this fox a lesson!"
The boys gathered around him threateningly.
Naruto just grinned. "I'll show you why the flowers bloom… Yuhi-style!"
Then he moved.
His superior strength and coordination—honed through months of training—let him take them down with ease. These kids were two or three years older than him, but to Naruto, they were no more than practice dummies.
"Waaahhh! Don't hit me! I give up!"
"I want my mommy!"
"The demon fox is going to eat us!"
Tears and screams erupted as the children ran in all directions, tripping and stumbling over one another.
...
TN:
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