Chapter 7: I Don't Have Many Friends
Mizuki eventually left, and Naruto continued fishing by the riverbank. With the max-level Fishing buff in effect, it didn't take long for him to catch an entire basket full of large wild black fish.
Including the two he had already roasted and eaten earlier, Naruto didn't actually need that many big black fish. With no refrigerator at home, they would just spoil if he took them back.
At first, Naruto only wanted to test how good a max-level Fishing skill really was. But the results far exceeded his expectations—ever since he dropped the hook in, the fish just kept biting non-stop.
Even without bait on the hook, with nothing but a bare hook dangling in the water, as long as it was in Naruto's hands, the fish came one after another.
What stopped him from fishing further wasn't time or energy but the fact that his fish basket, already taller than his waist, was completely full. It couldn't hold any more, and the fish inside could practically leap out with just a little struggle.
Staring at the overflowing basket of black fish, Naruto fell silent.
Bringing them home was unrealistic—he couldn't store them.
Sell them? Impossible. No fishmonger in Konoha would buy fish from him. Not only would they refuse, they'd probably even suspect he'd stolen them from somewhere.
Determined to avoid unnecessary trouble, Naruto gave up on selling them.
That left only one option: give them away.
He didn't have many friends—he could count them on one hand. So deciding who to give them to didn't take much thought.
The Hyūga clan definitely wouldn't accept a gift from him—scratched off! Iruka-sensei was single, but he had always treated Naruto well. Self-reliance takes a toll on the body, so Naruto decided to give him a few extra.
Chōji's house was too far away, so Naruto dropped that idea. Shikamaru, though, was doable—might as well bring him some too.
As for the Third Hokage, that old man might be a bit rigid, but he wasn't a bad person. He'd get some as well.
Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka were completely ruled out. At this stage, Naruto wasn't close enough to either of them, and suddenly giving them something weird would only make things awkward.
"Is this a new ninjutsu Naruto's developed?"
The elderly, gray-haired Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was currently watching the scene in his crystal ball, smiling in amusement.
This was his favorite spying technique, and everything Naruto had done by the river just now had been in full view.
"You're too soft, Sarutobi," came a cold, grim voice. "If a jinchūriki harbors hatred toward the village, the consequences for us will be catastrophic!"
"Danzō, Naruto has already made his choice," the Third said sternly, stroking his white beard. "He wasn't swayed by Mizuki and even rejected him outright."
"Even if the crystal ball doesn't transmit sound, I'm sure it's no challenge for you to figure out what he said."
"The jinchūriki has endured far too much unfair treatment in this village. The conflict between Naruto and the villagers still exists. If we don't resolve this properly, that will be the real danger to Konoha."
"Tch!" Danzō sneered, dissatisfied. "Hand him over to me, and I'll make sure he becomes the village's most reliable weapon."
Hiruzen's face darkened at those words.
"Danzō, don't overstep. No matter what, Minato was my student. The Nine-Tails being sealed inside Naruto was Minato's decision."
"Have you forgotten whose son he is?"
"And as for your so-called 'safety'—Danzō, have you forgotten the tragedy of the Nine-Tails' attack ten years ago? The Nine-Tails isn't something only a jinchūriki can control—the Uchiha can as well."
"The Nine-Tails must be entrusted to Naruto to master—not turned into an emotionless weapon. Danzō, take this warning to heart."
Danzō clearly didn't accept the rebuke.
The Fourth Hokage, the Sannin, Kakashi, and now the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—all had close ties to Hiruzen. The Hokage's position seemed destined to stay within their circle.
This old man actually thought he could single-handedly change the entire village? What a joke. Konoha didn't belong to Sarutobi Hiruzen alone!
"Sarutobi, one day you'll regret this decision!" Throwing down those parting words, Danzō left abruptly.
"Hah..."
Hiruzen said nothing more, only letting out a quiet sigh.
Outside the Nara residence.
Three knocks broke the evening silence. The door was opened by Nara Shikaku, Konoha's scar-faced, top strategist.
Seeing Naruto, reeking of fish, standing there took him by surprise.
"Naruto? What brings you here? Isn't tomorrow the academy graduation exam?"
Shikaku's surprise was understandable—Naruto almost never came by. Even when he came to see Shikamaru, no matter how much they invited him in, Naruto would stubbornly stay outside, standing under the shade of a tree, peeking curiously and nervously at their house.
To others, Naruto might just seem like a mischievous troublemaker. But Shikaku knew the boy's deep-seated insecurity and sensitivity. That's why he never told Shikamaru to stop hanging out with him.
At the question, Naruto broke into a bright grin, pushing the fish basket forward with a loud voice.
"I caught too many fish over the past few days. Can't eat them all and can't store them either, so I wanted to give some to Shikamaru."
Only five or six fish remained in the basket—these were what was left after he had given some to everyone else.
"Uh..." Shikaku scratched his head, looking a bit awkward at the basket. "I'll have to ask Shikamaru's mother first."
The sound of cooking came from inside. Shikamaru followed the noise out, poking his head from behind his father. His eyes lit up when he spotted the fish.
"Naruto, you're amazing! How'd you catch so many?"
"I don't know," Naruto said with a sheepish grin, scratching his head. "Maybe I'm just naturally good at fishing."
Hearing that, Shikaku's heart stirred. For such a small boy to have fishing skills this good—how much hardship must he have endured to gain them?
The mountain black fish were clever creatures, not easy to catch even with bait. Shikaku himself had tried before, but after a few empty-handed trips, he had given up.
"Wait here a moment, Naruto," Shikaku said before heading back inside.
After a short while, he returned, pressing a box of sweets and a box of food into Naruto's hands. Seeing the boy's confused look, Shikaku smiled.
"This is our thanks. Please accept it."
Naruto glanced at Shikaku, then at the boxes in his hands, and finally turned his gaze to Shikamaru.
"Take it," Shikamaru said, arms folded behind his head, sounding indifferent. "If my mom finds out you didn't, she'll probably feel guilty and lose sleep over it."
"Thanks." Naruto smiled, waved goodbye, and turned to leave.
"Naruto!" Shikamaru suddenly called out. "Don't oversleep tomorrow—you've got the graduation exam!"
"Got it!" Naruto waved back, and it seemed like he really meant it.
But even as his silhouette faded into the night, the worry on Shikamaru's face didn't fade.