Jaune landed on the back slope of the colossal, carved Hokage Mountain, setting Naruto gently down beside him.
The view of the massive stone faces and the village sprawling out below was dizzying.
The boy, still wide-eyed from the flight, looked up at his savior.
"My name is Jaune Arc,"
Jaune introduced himself, deciding on the truth.
Naruto nodded enthusiastically and tried to remember the name as best as he could.
It sounded pretty difficult and serious compared to the names the people in the village usually had.
"Let's finish the food. Then let's talk,"
Jaune suggested, wanting to hear the boy's story.
Naruto nodded fiercely and finished both the sandwich and the cola quickly, leaving the wrapper clean.
He felt a little bit fulfilled; the immediate, painful gnawing in his stomach was gone.
However, the feeling of true fullness was still absent.
"How long has it been that you haven't had anything to eat?"
Jaune asked, dreading the answer but needing the truth.
"Ummm, I don't remember,"
Naruto mumbled, kicking a loose stone.
"About three days, I think. Sometimes longer."
"Three days! My Oum…"
Jaune whispered, the name of his god escaping his lips in a choked sound.
A wave of profound sadness and righteous anger took over him.
He couldn't leave the poor kid like this.
He immediately asked Ciel.
"Ciel, I've completed the initial mission to stop him from starving, but he needs more than one sandwich. Can I do something else to help the poor kid without violating the mission?"
[The Host can do whatever he wants when on the mission, as long as the primary mission parameters remain fulfilled, and you adhere to the shop's currency rules for purchases. This is just additional service.]
"Then let's find some more food for him! What can I buy? I need something that costs not over 5 copper."
[There are many consumable items that could fulfill the condition, from nutrient bars to pre-cooked meals. But from the calculation, buying perishable items like food is wasteful for long-term benefit. Please consider buying a Skill that could be used to hunt or gather food. The Host can also choose to teach the skill to other people.]
Don't just give a cat fish but teach it to catch fish instead.
Jaune was instantly convinced.
Teaching Naruto a survival skill was a thousand times better than handing him another sandwich.
He asked if there was any such skill that could be bought within his 5 copper coin budget.
The system immediately displayed two related items:
Skill—Gon Freecss's Fishing Technique
Origin—Hunter X Hunter World
Rank—Copper
Price—1 mcc
Item—Gon Freecss's Fishing Rod
Origin—Hunter X Hunter World
Rank—Copper
Price—1 mcc
"I'll buy both of them,"
Jaune declared without a second thought.
The price was just 1 copper each—a negligible sum for life-saving knowledge and a tool.
The moment the two coins were deducted, a vast amount of intuitive knowledge—the precise angle of the cast, the feel of the line, the patience required—flooded his mind.
Simultaneously, a simple, durable fishing rod with a sleek, futuristic reel materialized in his hand.
"Wow… Who is this Gon Freecss… His fishing skill is so good!"
Jaune was instantly confident in the technique.
This skill wasn't just useful; it was an innate mastery he could easily pass on.
"Naruto,"
Jaune said, his eyes alight with purpose.
"Forget the trash bins. Let's go and catch some fish."
Jaune led Naruto away from the mountain and toward a hidden stream Ciel quickly identified, demonstrating the technique with the new rod.
Jaune taught Naruto the precise angles for casting and reeling, and even how to cover himself using brush and natural cover so no one could sense him approaching the water.
Naruto proved to be a startlingly fast study.
He was unnaturally good at stealth from the beginning, moving through the woods with an uncanny silence, like a fish in the sea.
Before long, they had a small, healthy pile of fish they could cook over a discreet fire, securing Naruto's sustenance for the next few days.