"Where's my milk? I had over twenty bottles!"
The shopkeeper gaped at the stripped-bare shelf, then lunged down the aisle.
"Bread's gone—sausage's gone—my fresh dango's gone too!"
"This is the third time this month!"
He stomped back to the counter to close up and storm the Hokage Tower—only to roar again.
"My till—who stole all my money?!"
Enraged, he burst into the street and bellowed at the passers-by.
"Which low-life ninja can't make ends meet and keeps robbing me? Let me find you, you—"
The pedestrians exchanged uneasy glances.
"It happened again?"
"Hokage-sama put people on the case, but they still can't catch that thief."
"Even Hyūga scouts tried—Byakugan found nothing, like the culprit appears from thin air."
"I heard the Akimichi barbecue place got hit too."
"Maybe it's a ghost. How else do so many ninja chase a thief and never snag a hair?"
"Don't scare me—I run a dango shop. Lost dozens of skewers yesterday…"
Fear rippled along the street until civilians edged away from the ransacked store.
Moments later, squads of Leaf shinobi arrived and ringed the building.A cloaked Aburame with dark glasses stepped forward, palms out.
"Parasitic Insects."
A black storm of kikaichū poured from his sleeves, scouring every corner before swarming back beneath his cloak.
"No trace," he reported. "The intruder left zero chakra residue."
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stood beside him, pipe clenched, brows furrowed.
"We came so quickly, yet nothing is left behind. What kind of technique is this… and why?"
He exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"Someone that skilled steals only milk and bread?"
Warning? Boast? Reconnaissance? None of it made sense.
Just then, a squad of crimson-eyed Uchiha strode up—clan head Fugaku, prodigy Shisui, genius Itachi, and more.
"Perfect timing," Hiruzen said. "See if your Sharingan finds any clue."
The Uchihas scanned the shop; their tomoe spun, then stilled.
"Nothing abnormal," Fugaku admitted.
Hiruzen's frown deepened. "Double patrols. Uchiha, Hyūga, Aburame, Inuzuka. I want this thief caught."
Anbu bowed and vanished.
Not far away, inside the Air Door, Naruto ripped open a three-color dango packet and popped the skewer into his mouth.
"Looks like I caused quite the fuss."
Three months had passed since he first gathered chakra. In that time he had become the phantom bandit of Konoha—raiding every shop from grocers to weapon dealers.
Stolen food had refilled his malnourished body; he was stronger than ever. Yet with elite trackers now deployed, it was time to lie low. Ninja skills were bizarre—someone might pierce even dimensional space.
Two more months slipped by.
One afternoon, Naruto walked the street, planning to buy ramen as a cover.
WHAP!
A stone streaked from the crowd and smashed into his forehead. He toppled, vision swimming. When he touched the wound his fingers came away crimson.
"You bastards…"
Laughter exploded around him. Children chanted, slapping their hands.
"The monster's down!"
"Gold-haired freak—get out of our village!"
Naruto's eyes burned like ice, but he forced a crooked smile and stood.
"Please don't throw rocks—someone could be hurt. See? I'm bleeding already."
A man sneered under his breath. "That's the idea, monster."
Naruto didn't bother hunting the culprit; experience said he'd never find one. He bought his ramen and walked home, pressing a cloth to the cut.
After a rough bandage he sat to resume chakra training—
KNOCK KNOCK.
He opened the door and feigned bright surprise.
"Grandpa Hokage! You came to see me?"