Early morning,
The sun had just risen over Konoha Village,
And there was a slight chill in the air.
Having eaten bread and drunk milk, Naruto Uzumaki put on a mask and left his home.
Five-year-old Naruto had always wanted friends to play with, but for some reason, the other children never wanted to play with him.
In fact, they were very hostile towards him.
Occasionally, a child would approach him, only to be pulled away by an adult.
Young Naruto wasn't foolish; he could vaguely sense that the entire Konoha Village seemed to dislike him.
However, he truly felt too lonely; he longed for friendship.
So, the clever Naruto stayed up all night thinking of a solution: he would wear a mask so that no one would know he was Naruto Uzumaki, and then they would be willing to play with him, right?!
With this expectation, Naruto walked out of his house.
Poor Naruto, he didn't know that the moment he stepped onto the street, his unique, protagonist-like yellow hair had already betrayed him.
On the street, whether it was pedestrians standing outside shops or children chasing each other, as soon as Naruto appeared, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at him.
"Isn't that the brat who's the Nine-Tails' incarnation?"
"It's him. Don't think that just because he's wearing a mask, people won't recognize him. I'd know him even if he turned to ash."
"Wearing a mask in broad daylight, so sneaky. Is he going to do something bad?"
"He definitely wants to do something bad. Why else would he wear a mask? Don't forget, he's the one who killed Lord Fourth."
Whispers kept rising, accompanied by looks of disgust.
Why?
Listening to these whispers,
Naruto's last shred of hope was extinguished.
Naruto felt a surge of injustice, his eyes welled up with tears, and he repeatedly questioned himself internally:
Why?
Why exactly?
Why does everyone hate me so much? What about me do you hate? Tell me, and I'll change until you like me, okay?
Also, don't accuse me wrongly! I really didn't kill Lord Fourth!
Naruto covered his face and cried, quickly fleeing the area.
He ran and ran, until he was utterly exhausted, until Konoha Village disappeared behind him. Only then did Naruto stop, squat down, and wipe away his tears with his hands.
He just wanted friends.
He really hadn't done anything bad! Naruto felt incredibly wronged.
"Young Naruto!"
Just then, a gentle, loving voice suddenly appeared in Naruto's mind.
"Who?"
Naruto was startled, stood up, and, with tear-filled eyes, looked around. Only then did he realize he had run to the back mountain, where only trees were visible, not people.
So, who was speaking?
"It's me, the great Body Tempering System." The voice seemed to hear Naruto's inner question and resonated in his mind again.
"The great Body Tempering System, what's that?" Naruto asked loudly, his childish, clear voice echoing through the valley.
"Ahem, don't speak so loudly. If you want to say something, just think it in your mind," the System said awkwardly.
"Oh," Naruto uttered, then asked in his mind, "Who are you?"
"Don't worry about who I am for now, young Naruto. Do you have any wishes right now? Tell me, and perhaps I can help you fulfill them," the System replied, avoiding the question.
Naruto's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "I want to have friends, lots and lots of friends."
The System seemed shocked by Naruto's simple wish, hesitated for three seconds, and then confirmed again: "That's it?"
"That's it."
Naruto nodded, then asked suspiciously, "Can't you do it? But this is my only wish!"
"It's very simple. I'll show you a video clip."
After the System spoke, Naruto was astonished to see a blue, transparent projection appear before his eyes.
On the projection was a magnificent young man, wearing a purple-gold crown, radiating dazzling golden light, with an indescribable charm in his every movement.
The next second, the young man moved. He raised his hand, clenched his fist, and with each punch, stars shattered wherever it reached.
Naruto's mouth hung open in shock at this scene.
Even the Hokage isn't that powerful, right?!
In another scene, the young man's physical body traversed the void, holding a blade of grass. He swiped it across the void, and the void tore apart, shattering into fragments that fell across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
In yet another scene, the young man battled a host of immortals. Golden blood spilled, transforming into individual young men who joined the fight. In this battle, the sun and moon lost their light, the universe shattered, and corpses rained down.
When the battle ended, only the young man stood above the void, his face filled with loneliness.
Is this the loneliness of being unrivaled in the world? The lonely Naruto seemed to sense the young man's state of mind, but what did this have to do with him having many friends?
The System once again saw through Naruto's thoughts and said unhurriedly, "Don't worry, keep watching, there will be a surprise, Naruto."
Naruto continued to watch.
The projection changed, and Naruto saw the young man again, or more accurately, the young man as a child. The moment Naruto saw the young man as a child, his heart trembled.
In the scene,
The young man as a child had no friends. When he walked down the street, he would be cursed at, pelted with stones, rotten vegetable leaves, and rotten eggs.
But the young man as a child did not bow his head, nor did he cry. Instead, he stubbornly raised his head, meeting the gazes of those who hated him.
Did this invincible strong man also have no friends when he was young, just like me?
Naruto felt a touch of shared suffering.
The scene flashed, and the young man slowly grew up, striving to become stronger. Then, in a friendly 'spar,' he defeated his opponent, who lay on the ground and became the young man's first friend.
After a series of friendly 'sparring matches,' the young man gained more and more friends.
Naruto's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Perhaps he knew how to make friends now!
The projection flickered, then extinguished, and the System asked in Naruto's mind, "Young Naruto, do you understand now?"
Naruto excitedly clenched his fists and nodded seriously:
"Thank you, System, I understand. Only the strong are worthy of friends."
"Very good, Naruto. So, what if someone refuses to be your friend?" The System posed another challenge to Naruto.
Naruto scratched his head in thought. A moment later, a smile appeared on his face: "Then I'll fight them, fight them until they become my friends."
"Watch your words. That's called friendly sparring."
The System promptly corrected Naruto's incorrect phrasing.
Naruto also knew his wording was inappropriate, so he chuckled and innocently said, "Right, friendly sparring, friendly sparring."
The System was very satisfied with Naruto, who corrected his mistakes, and asked solemnly, "Then, Naruto, are you willing to follow my guidance and learn the invincible Body Tempering Method?"
"I am willing."
Naruto nodded excitedly.
At the same time, he was already imagining in his mind that the entire Konoha Village consisted of his friends.
Just imagine,
What a joyful scene that would be!