From then on, Naruto Uzumaki solved his daily meal problem at Ichiraku Ramen.
He chatted with the gentle Big Sister Ayame and told the Boss about the interesting things he saw during the day.
One day, he found a river with lots of fish and crabs.
Another day, he discovered a new shop. If the owner was rude, he'd doodle all over their storefront the next day.
Another day, he met a shy little girl with white eyes.
It was like a happy little family.
This was a joy Naruto had never experienced before.
One night, Musashi noticed Naruto seemed a bit down.
"What's wrong, Naruto?"
Naruto thought for a moment, then said, "Boss, why does everyone else have a mom and dad, but I don't?"
Musashi fell silent for a moment.
Naruto continued, "I want to know what my dad looked like, and what my mom looked like."
"Grandpa Hiruzen never tells me. He just says they died for the village."
"He tells me, 'What good does knowing do? The dead won't come back to life.'"
"But I really want to know."
A warm hand patted his head.
Naruto looked up and met Musashi's gentle gaze.
"If that's the case, Boss can tell you a little bit."
Ecstasy flooded Naruto's eyes. "Really? Boss?!"
"You knew my mom and dad?"
Musashi said, "Yeah... I did know them. Naruto, you're still young, so some things I can't tell you just yet."
"But..."
"But what?"
"But I can tell you a little bit of what you want to know."
"How about this: let's do missions together. For every mission you complete, I'll answer one question about them."
"Missions? What kind of missions? Can't you just tell me everything, Boss?" Naruto asked anxiously.
"Nope." Musashi wagged his finger. "It's a village secret. I can't just tell you easily. You have to earn it, bit by bit."
"Tomorrow is the weekend. Meet me at the old spot. I'll take you on a mission."
"As long as you complete it, I'll answer your question."
---
The Next Day.
Edge of the Konoha Forest.
Musashi was draped in heavy weights, sweating profusely as he trained.
In the shade nearby, a small figure lay comically on the ground with a patch of sod on his head. A pair of big eyes stared nervously ahead.
About ten meters away, a gray wild hare was enjoying its hard-earned breakfast.
The Grass Hare, a common species in Konoha. Delicious meat, excellent reproductive capabilities. A very popular ingredient.
Naruto carefully hid his figure, staring intently while whispering to himself.
"Grass Hare. Body length: 20 centimeters."
"Slight white stripes on the back of the neck. Ears perked backward."
"Tail is short with fluff at the base."
"Target identified as... Female."
After confirming it repeatedly, Naruto carefully began to build up power in his legs.
"This is the thirteenth attempt. Must succeed."
Muttering to himself, Naruto's thigh muscles exploded with power.
He launched himself forward like a rabbit!
The hare sensed danger the moment he moved and leaped instantly.
Run!
But it was too late!
Naruto used every ounce of his strength. While the hare was still mid-air, he was already on top of it.
The hare kicked out, trying to dodge the fatal grab.
But the hunter's reaction exceeded its expectations.
One hand missed.
But Naruto, mid-air, forcefully twisted his body regardless of balance and snatched the hare into his arms with the other hand.
He crashed to the ground and rolled.
Covered in grass and dirt, he didn't care.
He sat up, held the struggling hare in front of his face, and pried open its back legs.
"No little wiener! It really is a female!"
Confirming his judgment was correct, Naruto grinned widely.
He stood up, clutching the rabbit in one hand and dusting himself off with the other, then ran toward Musashi.
"Boss! Boss! I did it!"
Hearing the commotion, Musashi finished his set and stopped.
Wiping his sweat, he said, "Oh? Really? Let me see."
Naruto handed a small notebook to Musashi like he was presenting a treasure.
It contained simple drawings and notes.
"Animal Identification Mission"
Chapter 1: The Grass Hare.
Followed by specific feature sketches and written analysis.
Panting, Naruto said, "Boss, I've mastered all the gender characteristics of the Grass Hare."
"Now I can tell if it's male or female with just one look."
"Here, this is the female I caught for reference. It's definitely right."
Under Naruto's expectant gaze, Musashi nodded.
"Hmm, not bad."
"Although it's just a common hare, catching it is pretty good for you."
"I'll count this as your first mission complete."
"Then Boss, can I ask my first question about Mom and Dad?" Naruto's eyes shone.
Musashi smiled and nodded. "Of course."
A while ago, he had run into Itachi Uchiha in the village. He wanted to invite him for a meal and chat, but Itachi said he had no time.
He was busy accompanying his little brother Sasuke on a mission.
Collecting cat paw prints.
So Musashi thought he should take Naruto on some interesting activities too.
It would improve his mood and exercise his body.
Plus, since Naruto was sad about his parents, Musashi designed a long-term mission.
—Konoha Animal Identification Mission.
Through analyzing features and capturing animals, Naruto would gain experience identifying ninja world fauna.
As he grew older and stronger, the targets could scale up from rabbits and frogs to tigers and giant bears.
Beside him, Naruto finally asked the question he had been holding in all day.
"Boss, what were my mom and dad's names?"
Musashi: "..."
"Pick another question."
If he were stronger... strong enough to ignore Hiruzen and Danzo, maybe he could answer that.
But right now, it would cause too much trouble.
Rejected on his first question, Naruto thought for a moment.
"...Then, what did Mom look like? Was she pretty?"
"Can I ask that?"
Musashi said, "That you can ask."
He thought of Kushina Uzumaki, his eyes filling with nostalgic warmth.
"Your mother was beautiful. Very beautiful! Especially her hair; you'd remember it the moment you saw it."
"Really? Boss?" Naruto's eyes sparkled. "Prettier than Big Sister Ayame?"
"Of course." Musashi confirmed without hesitation.
"Your mom was prettier than Ayame. Her eyes were beautiful, her nose was beautiful, and she had a great figure too."
"But Naruto, you can't tell anyone what I said."
"If Ayame finds out, I'll never forgive you."
"Don't worry, Boss!" Naruto promised, his mind already conjuring an image of a gentle, beautiful woman.
Watching Naruto lost in fantasy, Musashi's gaze softened even more.
He reached out and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Also, Boss will give you a freebie answer."
Naruto whipped his head around, eyes blinking with excitement.
But before he could think of a question, Musashi answered it for him.
"Naruto, your mom and dad loved you very much."
"They loved you more than anything."
Naruto froze.
Tears quickly filled his big eyes and streamed down his cheeks.
Watching Naruto cry, Musashi felt a sourness in his own heart.
That woman who used to lose her temper all the time.
That woman with the beautiful, flying red hair.
He missed her too.
Suddenly, he thought of someone else.
Red hair. Uzumaki clan.
Karin.
A survivor of the Uzumaki clan.
Since the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, the Uzumaki were scattered. Most died in their wanderings. A few were absorbed by hidden villages through various means.
Karin had it particularly bad.
Under the excuse of "not living here for free," the Grass Ninja used her as a human battery.
If Kushina knew about Karin's situation, she would definitely be furious, Musashi thought.
Thinking about Karin's age, she probably hadn't reached her darkest moments yet.
In that moment, he set a goal for himself.
Rescue Karin Uzumaki!
If Kushina knew I left one of her people to die, she'd laugh at me.
I need to get stronger quickly! The stronger, the better!
There isn't much time left. I have to save Karin!
If I ever meet Kushina in the afterlife, I have to let her know she didn't take a disciple for nothing.
The thirst for strength became even more urgent.
Days passed normally.
Occasional skirmishes at the border, a few ninjas dead.
Undercurrents surged within the Uchiha clan; encounters with Itachi became rare.
Danzo plotted in the shadows.
None of this had much to do with Musashi.
He simply took it one step at a time, continuing his training.
Occasionally, he took time to make "art" and money with Daiki, or accompany Ayame and Naruto.
In the blink of an eye, two years passed.