"987, 988, 989…"
His home, which was usually so close, now felt as far away as the very ends of the earth. Naruto's muscles screamed in protest, and his spirit was on the verge of complete collapse.
"I can't do it anymore, I just have to rest for a little while please…"
[Warning, Lightning Release baptism countdown, 5… 4… 3…]
"…990, 991, 992…"
*Thump—*
*Thump, thump!*
On the street, pedestrians couldn't help but stare at the sight of Naruto doing weighted frog jumps.
"Hmm? Isn't that the demon…"
"Shh! Be careful what you say!"
"Why isn't that kid playing pranks anymore? What's with him suddenly working so hard?"
"Hmph, I bet he's just up to something new. This is probably just another one of his pranks!"
"True, that little brat has no manners at all. All he ever does is cause trouble for everyone, he's truly unlikeable!"
"Let's just go, stay far away from him!"
Naruto wasn't deaf to these whispers, but today, he didn't even have the energy to sigh in response. He couldn't even dwell on the familiar ache of seeing other children being happily picked up by their parents while he remained completely alone.
He had only one thought consuming his mind right now… to frog jump his way home as quickly as humanly possible! Then, he would make a huge bowl of instant ramen, grab two cartons of milk, and eat and drink until he was completely content!
Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't help but drool, as if a fresh burst of motivation had ignited within him. He let out a determined shout and continued hopping forward with renewed vigor.
"1109, 1110, 1111…"
"1112!"
"I'm finally here!"
Naruto looked at his home with an unprecedented feeling of warmth. The house, which never looked particularly cozy, now seemed as dreamy as a paradise. He quickly stood up, vigorously kneaded his numb thighs, then dashed up the stairs and ran toward his room.
"Huh?"
"Although it hurts, how come it also feels kind of good?"
"Am I weird?"
Naruto took a moment to sense the changes in his body. Although he had indeed pushed himself to his absolute limit, the pain and fatigue weren't as intense as he expected. In fact, his stamina seemed to be recovering at a rapid pace.
[Host has successfully completed the weighted frog jump home plan. Stamina has increased by +3. Current Stamina: 76 points!]
Naruto's heart leaped with joy.
"Although my physics and chemistry scores are terrible, my stamina is actually pretty strong!"
"hahahaha…" Naruto laughed with pride.
This, of course, wasn't the System's doing, but rather the powerful Uzumaki Clan bloodline within Naruto at work. His immense chakra, incredible vitality, and the unique abilities he possessed as the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki made Naruto's stamina and recovery power truly astonishing.
"Yatta, finally, I can eat!"
Naruto immediately went to boil water for his instant ramen.
Just then…
[Detecting that the Host is preparing to eat. A healthy diet is an indispensable part of building a strong physique, and a necessary condition to one day become Hokage!]
[Please, Host, immediately prepare a nutritious and balanced dinner, including fresh meat, eggs, milk, and a full assortment of vegetables and fruits!]
Naruto froze. "…Huh?! Is instant ramen okay?"
[No.]
"…Why not! I love instant ramen more than anything! Well, to be precise, I love the ramen from Ichiraku's…"
[Ramen is acceptable, instant ramen is not.]
Naruto: "…"
"But where am I supposed to get meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and fruits?!"
He glumly shuffled over to his refrigerator, opened it, and found nothing but cartons of milk inside. "Forget it, at least there's milk…"
Naruto was exhausted and immediately reached for a carton of milk to chug down.
However…
[Detecting that the milk in the Host's hand has expired. For a Host in the growth stage, it is entirely harmful and offers no benefits. Please replace it with new milk immediately!]
Naruto's jaw dropped. "…Huh?!"
Although he was indignant, he still took a closer look at the production and expiration dates. After a long moment of calculation, he finally confirmed… it had indeed expired. And it had expired a long, long time ago. "Have I been drinking expired milk this whole time? No wonder I get diarrhea so often…"
Naruto scratched his head and reached for another carton, but…
[Detecting that the milk in the Host's hand has expired. For a Host in the growth stage, it is entirely harmful and offers no benefits. Please replace it with new milk immediately!]
"This carton is expired too?! Right, they were all bought at the same time… What about the ones on the top layer?!"
Naruto checked every carton from top to bottom and found that almost all of the milk had expired. Only two or three cartons he had bought more recently were barely within their shelf life. He carefully picked them up. Finally, he didn't hear the System's prompt in his mind, so he quickly opened one and gulped down the milk. "Ah—"
With one carton down, Naruto felt his rumbling stomach begin to settle. He soon picked up another carton and finished it in an instant.
When he picked up the last carton…
[Warning, milk should not be consumed in excess!]
[Please, Host, immediately prepare a nutritious and balanced dinner!]
[And… throw away all the milk that has long since expired!]
Naruto slumped. "…But I don't know how to cook!"
[Warning…]
"Ah! Alright, alright! You win!"
"I'll go buy groceries right now! And I'll throw away all this expired milk…"
He said this, but as he looked at a refrigerator full of milk that was about to be thrown away, Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang of reluctance. He shook his head and sighed, but still obediently put all the expired milk into a trash bag. Then, he grabbed his frog-shaped wallet, closed the door, and walked out.
"Goodbye, my precious milk…" Naruto reluctantly tossed the cartons into the trash can. Then, he walked towards the store that sold fresh ingredients.
Naruto's monthly allowance was neither too much nor too little; it was perfectly sufficient for the daily expenses of someone his age. However, Naruto was clearly someone with zero planning skills. Aside from occasionally treating himself to his beloved Ichiraku Ramen, he mostly subsisted on instant ramen and milk. Not only was instant ramen just fast food, but the milk Naruto drank was almost always expired. Since he was at a crucial stage of growth and development, his body was naturally being affected to some extent.
However… with the System now forcing him to discard expired milk, stop his frequent consumption of instant ramen, and instead focus on balanced and reasonable meals, it would be very interesting to see just how much Naruto's strength would develop as he grew up.
Naruto bought a large pile of the freshest raw meat, milk, eggs, vegetables, and fruits, stuffing them into two large bags. He finally managed to lug them all home and stock his refrigerator. The fridge now looked much more like one belonging to a normal family.
Next, he had to personally prepare his own dinner… Night fell, and lights twinkled in countless homes. The warmth and liveliness reflected in the other windows did not belong to Naruto. However… with the System's constant urging and warnings in his mind, though it kept him constantly alert and fearful, it also subtly lessened his profound loneliness and pain. It was as if he had suddenly gained a very strict father.
Naruto, being emotionally simple, didn't realize this, but he was experiencing a rare moment of forgetting his loneliness.
Naruto's first self-made dinner was certainly not lavish, let alone delicious. However, with meat, vegetables, eggs, and milk, it could at least be considered quite well-balanced. Naruto was already mentally and physically exhausted, pushed to his absolute limits. Looking at the dinner he had somehow managed to prepare himself, he didn't even have the energy to feel proud. He quickly devoured it, eating like a whirlwind.
In less than ten minutes, Naruto had cleared every last bit of the food. He let out a satisfied burp and slumped onto his chair, wiggling down like a worm.
One word… amazing! Was this the satisfaction one feels after a long day of hard work? Naruto couldn't help but chuckle.
His joy, however, didn't last long.
[Detecting that the Host has eaten his fill, but the daily required eight hours of Chakra Refining Technique have not yet been completed. Please begin training immediately!]
Naruto groaned. "…Aaaaaah! At least let me rest for a little bit!"
[Warning! Lightning Release baptism countdown, 5… 4… 3…]
Naruto snapped. "I don't care anymore! I really can't do it! If you want to shock me, then go ahead and shock me!"
Actually, now that Naruto's mental and physical strength had recovered, he wasn't completely unable to continue his training. However, such is human nature. No matter how arduous or exhausting the task, one can endure it if they push through in a single, continuous effort.