The next morning, Naruto sat up in bed, rubbing his sleepy eyes. Despite getting a night's sleep, he felt mentally exhausted.
"Yawn..." Naruto let out a huge yawn, a few sleepy tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Getting on that big tsundere fox's good side was more draining than training.
He thought back to last night in the sealed space. To win Kurama's favor, he had spent the whole night being a "story plagiarist," retelling novels from his past life to the big fox. Now, it seemed his efforts had paid off.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host: You have established an initial bond with the original character "Kurama"!]
[Reward: 400 points awarded!]
"Whoa!" Naruto jumped out of bed excitedly. "As expected of the first character to appear in the original Naruto! Though it's a hundred points less than Satsuki..."
With the 100 points he had left over, plus these 400, he now had 500 points. He was halfway to the 1000 points needed for his next ten-pull.
"At this rate, I'll be able to do another pull soon!" Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
As for the stories he told Kurama last night... Naruto had given it careful thought. That big fox had been locked up for so many years; its heart must be filled with resentment and frustration. So, he had specifically chosen a representative work from the power-fantasy genre—
Will I Meet a Ring Grandpa After Transmigrating as Xiao Huo-Huo?
Starting Life in the Dou Qi Continent from Zero.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Fallen Genius.
In short, "Battle Through the Heavens."
At first, that tsundere fox had put on a haughty act. "Hmph, since you insist on telling me a story, I suppose I'll reluctantly listen."
Naruto changed the "Dou Qi" in the story to "Chakra," "sects" to "ninja clans," and "pills" to "military rations pills"... After this localization, Kurama quickly became engrossed.
As expected, a fox from another world had no resistance to this kind of meticulously crafted, satisfying web novel. As the plot progressed, Naruto even noticed Kurama's tails unconsciously swaying in time with the story's rhythm.
When they parted, Kurama said in a deliberately aloof tone, "If you want to tell me more stories... I suppose I can reluctantly keep you company."
That was the ultimate tsundere way of inviting him back. But achieving this much on their first meeting was far beyond his expectations.
Naruto knew that truly winning over this Tailed Beast, which had been steeped in hatred for centuries, would require long-term companionship. If he rashly said something empty like "I want to resolve the hatred in your heart," it would not only be ineffective but might also backfire.
I'll take it slow... Naruto bit into a slice of bread. He decided to use a subtle approach, slowly rebuilding Kurama's trust in humanity through repeated companionship and conversation.
But what should he do today? Should he go find Satsuki? The thought of the Konoha leadership's surveillance on the Uchiha made him frown.
What if the Third Hokage or Danzo issued a warning, forcing that little tsundere to distance herself from him due to family pressure... Just imagining the scene of Satsuki forcing a cold expression and saying "Let's not see each other again" made Naruto feel a wave of frustration.
Just then...
Knock, knock, knock—
A knock on the door. Naruto paused. He knew who it was. In this village, the number of people who would voluntarily knock on his door could be counted on one hand—no, to be precise, there was only one person.
"Coming, coming," Naruto called out. The moment he pulled the door open, the familiar white Hokage robes and signature conical hat came into view.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at the door, his wrinkled face wearing a kind smile. Behind him were several paper bags, from which fresh vegetables, meat, and milk could be seen.
"Naruto, I've brought some supplies," the Third said in a gentle voice. "May I come in?"
The amount of supplies wasn't huge, but it wasn't out of stinginess; it was because they were perishable fresh foods, and giving too much would be wasteful.
"Oh! It's the old man Hokage... I mean, Grandpa Hokage You came to visit? Please, come in"
A vein visibly throbbed on Hiruzen Sarutobi's forehead. He had clearly heard the "old man" part. But he just shook his head with a resigned sigh and walked in with the bags.
[Ding!]
The moment the Third Hokage stepped into the entryway, a crisp system notification sounded in Naruto's mind.
[Congratulations, Host: You have established a bond (Level 2) with the original character "Hiruzen Sarutobi"!]
[Reward: 300 points awarded!]
"Oh?" Naruto was slightly surprised. It seems this Third Hokage really does have some genuine feelings for me... maybe out of guilt? At least it proved he wasn't purely treating Naruto as a container for the Nine-Tails, as some conspiracy theories suggested.
However, the bond level was only two, and the points weren't that high. The number subtly reflected the Third's attitude—just like the living arrangements he provided for Naruto, it was adequate, but only just adequate.
Hiruzen Sarutobi placed the last carton of milk in the refrigerator, then turned around and asked gently, "Naruto, have you been eating well lately? Is your living allowance enough?"
Naruto sat at the table and casually picked up a fresh apple that had just been delivered, taking a large bite. "Of course I'm eating well. I'm a growing boy. And the allowance is plenty, since there's almost nothing to spend it on."
That statement brought a flicker of guilt to the Third's eyes. The child that the Fourth Hokage and his wife had given their lives to protect, the son of Konoha's hero, was now living such a lonely life...
But the helplessness of being Hokage quickly suppressed that guilt. He knew very well that allowing a jinchuriki to become dependent on a specific individual was extremely dangerous. The candidates who could be entrusted with Naruto's care... not only had to be absolutely reliable but also able to withstand pressure from all sides.
If only Biwako were still alive...
Furthermore, Danzo was always lurking in the shadows, coveting the Nine-Tails' power.
The Third Hokage watched Naruto, who was munching on the apple, with a deep gaze. More than whether he had enough supplies, what troubled him was this child's attitude towards Konoha.
Ever since Naruto could walk, the Third had keenly noticed the boy's abnormality. He had inherited Minato's precociousness. After noticing the strange looks from those around him, he didn't seek attention like a normal child. Instead, he quietly built an invisible wall, shutting out the entire village.
If this continues... will he be okay?
A normal child growing up in solitude might become rebellious or desperate for attention. But Naruto had chosen the most worrying path of development. He had built up a complete psychological defense, viewing all of Konoha as "outsiders."
In the depths of Naruto's eyes, he couldn't find a single trace of belonging to Konoha. This child, who was supposed to inherit the Will of Fire, looked at the village as if it were just a temporary stop, with a calmness that was chilling.
...But it's only natural. Human emotions need an anchor. In a place where he has no one to care about... how could he possibly feel a sense of belonging?
But the real purpose of this visit was yesterday's events. The ANBU surveillance report was still fresh in his mind. Yesterday, Naruto had made contact with the Uchiha clan head's daughter, Satsuki Uchiha.
Satsuki... Fugaku's daughter, huh...
Reason told him that a three-year-old girl couldn't be a pawn of the Uchiha. And according to the report, Satsuki hadn't said anything to manipulate him. Fugaku wasn't an ambitious man and wouldn't be foolish enough to use his own daughter to get close to the jinchuriki. The price was simply too high.
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