"501, 502, 503…"
Naruto carried his backpack, moving forward with weights, as if squeezing out the last ounce of strength from his body.
He was already drenched in sweat, and his legs felt completely numb.
He was mentally and physically exhausted at the Ninja Academy, having endured a double torment. Now, after finally finishing school, he still had to do weighted frog jumps all the way home!
I, Naruto, truly bear a burden that a person of this age shouldn't have!
He grumbled inwardly, but still dared not slack off in the slightest.
That "Lightning Release's baptism" was simply too stimulating… Once experienced, he would never want a second time…
"987, 988, 989…"
His home, normally so close, now felt as distant as the ends of the earth. Naruto's muscles ached to the extreme, and his spirit was on the verge of collapse.
"I can't do it anymore, I have to rest for a bit…"
[Warning, Lightning Release baptism countdown, 5… 4… 3…]
"…990, 991, 992…"
Bang—
Bang bang!
On the street, pedestrians couldn't help but glance at Naruto, who was doing weighted frog jumps.
"Hmm? Is that demon…"
"Shh! Be careful what you say!"
"Why isn't that guy playing pranks? Why is he suddenly working so hard?"
"Hmph, I bet he's up to something again. Maybe this is just part of a prank!"
"True, that little rascal has no manners. All he does all day is cause trouble, he's truly unlikeable!"
"Let's go, stay away from him!"
Naruto wasn't deaf to these whispers, but today, he didn't even have the energy to sigh.
Even the desolation of seeing other children happily picked up by their parents while he remained alone, he couldn't dwell on it now.
He only had one thing on his mind now… to frog jump home as quickly as possible!
Then, to make a big bowl of instant ramen, grab two cartons of milk, and eat and drink to his heart's content!
Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't help but drool, as if a renewed burst of motivation had ignited within him. He let out a shout and continued hopping forward.
"1109, 1110, 1111…"
"1112!"
"I'm here!"
Naruto looked at his home with an unprecedented sense of familiarity. The house, which didn't look particularly cozy, now seemed as dreamy as paradise. He quickly stood up, vigorously kneaded his numb thighs, then strode up the stairs and ran towards his room.
"Huh?"
"Although it's painful, how come it also feels a little good?"
"Am I a masochist?"
Naruto sensed the changes in his body. Although he had indeed reached his limit, the pain and fatigue weren't as intense. Instead, his stamina was recovering rapidly.
[Host has successfully completed a weighted frog jump home plan. Stamina has increased by +3. Current Stamina: 76 points!]
Naruto's heart stirred, and he was overjoyed.
"Although my physics and chemistry aren't great, my stamina is quite strong!"
"Ah haha…"
This was, of course, not the system's doing, but rather the Uzumaki Clan bloodline within Naruto at work.
His immense Chakra, formidable vitality, and the unique abilities he possessed as a Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki made Naruto's stamina and recovery power astonishing!
"Ah ha, finally I can eat!"
Naruto immediately went to prepare water for his instant ramen.
Just then… [Detecting Host preparing to eat. A healthy diet is an indispensable part of a strong physique, and a necessary condition to 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: "…Huh?!"
"Is instant ramen okay?"
[No.]
"…Why not! I love instant ramen the most! No, to be precise, Ichiraku's Uncle's ramen…"
[ramen is acceptable, instant ramen is not.]
Naruto: "…"
"But where am I supposed to get meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and fruits?!"
He glumly shuffled to the refrigerator, opened it, and found nothing but milk inside… "Forget it, at least there's milk…"
Naruto was exhausted and immediately reached to open a carton of milk to drink his fill.
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 benefit. Please replace it with new milk immediately!]
Naruto: "…Huh?!"
Although he was indignant, he still took another look at the production and expiration dates. After calculating for a long time, he finally confirmed… it had indeed expired.
And, it had expired a long time ago… "Have I been drinking expired milk all this time?"
"No wonder I often get diarrhea…"
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 benefit. Please replace it with new milk immediately!]
"This carton is expired too?!"
"Right, they were all bought together…"
"What about the top layer?!"
Naruto checked from top to bottom and found that almost all the milk had expired.
Only two or three freshly bought cartons were barely still within their shelf life.
He carefully picked them up. Finally, he didn't hear the prompt in his mind, so he quickly opened the lid and gulped down the milk… "Ah—"
With one carton of milk down, Naruto felt his rumbling stomach ease a little.
Soon, he picked up another carton and instantly finished it.
When he picked up the last carton… [Warning, milk should not be consumed excessively!]
[Please, Host, immediately prepare a nutritious and balanced dinner!]
[And… throw away the milk that has long expired!]
Naruto: "…But I don't know how to cook!"
[Warning…]
"Ah! Alright, alright! You win!"
"I'll go buy groceries right now! And, throw away all this expired milk…"
He said this, but looking at a refrigerator full of milk about to be thrown away, Naruto really felt a bit reluctant.
However… he shook his head and sighed, still obediently putting all the expired milk into a trash bag. Then, he picked up his frog wallet, closed the door, and walked out.
"Goodbye, milk…"
Naruto reluctantly threw the cartons of milk into the trash can.
Then, he walked towards the store that sold ingredients.
Naruto's monthly allowance was neither too much nor too little; it was perfectly sufficient for his daily expenses at his age.
However, Naruto was clearly someone with no planning skills.
Aside from occasionally eating his beloved Ichiraku Ramen, most of the time he only had instant ramen and milk. Instant ramen was already fast food, not to mention that the milk Naruto drank was expired.
He was also at a crucial stage of growth and development, so his body would naturally be affected to some extent.
However… with the system now forcing him to discard expired milk, stop frequently eating instant ramen, and instead focus on balanced and reasonable meals, it would be very interesting to see what extent Naruto's strength would develop when 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 carry them home and put them in the refrigerator.
The refrigerator now looked much more like one in a normal family.
Next, he could only personally prepare his own dinner… Night fell, and lights twinkled in countless homes.
The warmth and liveliness reflected in other windows did not belong to Naruto.
However… with the system's constant urging and warnings in his mind, though it kept Naruto constantly alert and fearful, it also subtly lessened his loneliness and pain.
It was as if he had gained a strict father.
Naruto, being emotionally unrefined, didn't realize this, but he had a rare moment of forgetting his loneliness.