Half a year had slowly passed…
Naruto looked at the fish in the bucket and swallowed. The living expenses given by the Third Hokage weren't enough for his daily needs. The villagers hated him deeply. Although the owner of Ichiraku Ramen often helped him out, he couldn't rely on ramen alone for proper nutrition.
After learning Chakra control—and combined with his God's Reward for Hard Work ability—Naruto's physical strength had already far surpassed that of his peers. However, he never displayed his full strength. What he revealed to others was only about one-tenth of his actual power.
Even this much made the Anbu watching from the shadows marvel at his talent.
"Fire Style: Small Fireball Technique!"
He skillfully performed an E-rank ninjutsu. Though technically ninjutsu, it was only the size of a fist and served more as a joke. Naruto had begged the Third Hokage for this technique.
The Third Hokage claimed ninjutsu was too dangerous and only permitted Naruto to learn this playful technique—stipulating that only after entering the Academy would a special instructor train him further.
But with his divine ability, Naruto had become highly proficient in the Small Fireball Technique.
He had even modified it into something similar to the Great Fireball Technique—just slightly weaker than the Uchiha's version. Although Naruto had never seen it up close, he recalled the Great Fireball from his memories of the original story.
This Fire Style, said to be non-lethal, was actually deadly in the hands of skilled users. The Uchiha clan's Great Fireball Technique was infamous on the battlefield.
Naruto gradually began to understand the true nature of this world—it was far more brutal than what the original series showed. Not all ninjas were as competent as portrayed. There were countless Genin, and through Kagura's Mind Eye, Naruto could sense Chakra sources everywhere.
Some Genin and even Chūnin didn't have Chakra reserves as large as his—and that was considering Naruto hadn't even refined much Chakra yet. Despite that, he could control his Chakra effortlessly.
If the Nine-Tails didn't interfere, Naruto estimated that his control was at least on par with Sakura's when she graduated.
He wanted to train further in Chakra control—tree walking, water walking—but without a teacher, that wasn't realistic. However, Naruto could still practice basic techniques in secret without the Anbu noticing.
At the moment, he was using the Fireball Technique to grill fish, sprinkling homemade seasoning based on knowledge from his past life. Just one bite and the taste was incredible.
"Grilled Fish Skill +5!"
Thanks to frequent hunting, Naruto had developed quickly. Now nearly five years old, he looked closer to six or seven. Of course, this was mostly due to his diligence-based ability.
In the original timeline, Naruto had been short and thin due to malnutrition and eating expired food. With an adult mind in this life, Naruto wouldn't make the same mistakes.
He was enjoying his grilled fish when he saw the Third Hokage approaching.
Putting on a cheerful face, Naruto said, "Is Grandpa Third here to give me living expenses?"
The Third Hokage: "..."
"I just came to check on you, Naruto! Are you grilling fish?"
The Third Hokage tried to appear kind. Looking at his face, Naruto found the smile fake. If he wasn't here to give him money, then was he here to eat?
Hmph! Don't think I don't know. You probably had my whereabouts reported and showed up pretending to have found me by chance.
The Third took a grilled fish without hesitation and took a bite. Hmm, it was surprisingly good. He hadn't expected Naruto to have such skill.
"Why don't you go to the village and play with the kids, Naruto?"
The Third asked warmly.
"Grandpa Third, the kids in the village don't like me. They call me a fox demon, so I don't want to go. Grandpa Third is the best! You always give me money and good food!"
The Third Hokage: "..."
Is he aiming for my wallet?
"Ahem… Naruto, how about I send you to the Ninja Academy next year? That way, you can make a lot of friends."
"Really? I can have friends too? Forget it, I already have Grandpa Third, and that's enough! I want to become a great Hokage like Grandpa Third!"
Naruto's face flushed as if he were genuinely excited.
"Hahaha! Naruto, becoming Hokage is very difficult. Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn... When the leaves fall, they feed the roots so new buds grow."
Hearing this, Naruto sneered internally.
Old man, you never even went to the battlefield. You stayed hidden during the Nine-Tails Rebellion. You say you're protecting the village and raising the next generation, yet you send kids to war?
"Here's your living expense, Naruto. Spend it wisely. I'll come visit again."
The Third left with a kind smile, handing Naruto some money. After all, he was Minato's child.
"Wow! Two thousand ryo!"
Naruto was a bit happy. Including the fifteen hundred from before, he now had thirty-five hundred. Enough for several bowls of Ichiraku Ramen. After all, besides Ichiraku, he didn't really spend his money anywhere else.
Finishing the remaining fish, Naruto picked up the bucket and returned home. He always came home late to avoid the villagers' glares and the hostility in their eyes.
He couldn't imagine how the original Naruto endured such malice and didn't become evil.
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The days that followed were filled with continuous training. As he grew older, Naruto began experimenting with physical techniques. He even tried replicating the Six Styles from the Pirate world. With his divine reward system, he believed he could eventually succeed.
Though not successful yet, his strength had increased significantly.
And the system's voice confirmed that his efforts were on the right track. Naruto guessed that the Six Styles required an extremely strong body, which he hadn't yet built.
Before long, the end of the year arrived. Naruto went home after training, as usual. It was already winter—snow covered all of Konoha. The sky was dim, and dusk had settled in.
Suddenly, several voices reached Naruto's ears:
"Look! That monster's eyes are white!"
"Let's throw rocks at her! White-eyed freak!"
Naruto turned toward the voices and saw three or four boys surrounding a little girl. The scene looked strangely familiar.
Isn't this that scene from the original where Naruto heroically saves Hinata but gets beaten up?
"Hey! Stop that right now!"
Naruto rushed over. This girl's my future wife—of course I have to step in!
"It's that demon fox again! Mind your own business!"
"These two freaks are perfect for each other. One's a white-eyed monster, and the other's a demon fox! Let's teach him a lesson!"
More voices chimed in.
"I'll show you why the flowers are so red!"
Naruto grinned confidently.
His strong body easily overwhelmed the kids—who were all two or three years older than him.
"Waaah! Don't hit me! I give up!"
"I want my mom!"
"The fox demon's going to eat us!"
Cries echoed in the street as the bullies ran off, crawling and stumbling.
End of the Chapter
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