"Ugh"
"This heat is already killing me, and summer hasn't even properly started!" Naruto groaned, sprawled out on his bed.
His thin clothes felt useless against the sticky, early summer heat in his tiny apartment.
"That damn old geezer," he muttered under his breath, a mental barrage of complaints aimed squarely at the Hokage.
Lately, Hiruzen had been popping by way too often, his well-meaning lectures really getting on Naruto's nerves.
"Naruto-kun," the old man would say, "you got to face the villagers, even if they hate you. You should make them see you're not what they think. Konoha's one big family, Naruto!"
"Yeah, right. Family my butt," Naruto thought, his jaw clenching. "Damn that meddling old fart."
Unlike the loudmouth Naruto of the anime, this Naruto hadn't been running around yelling about becoming Hokage. And it seemed that had just made Hiruzen even more determined to force him into being social.
It wasn't like Naruto hadn't tried talking to people. He even tried hanging out with the other kids at the playground, but it went exactly as expected – weird looks, whispered insults, and everyone giving him a wide berth.
'Why would I even want their approval when they already hate me?' Naruto thought bitterly.
"Hey, brat, just finish off that old dude. You've got my full support," Kurama rumbled in his mind.
"..."
Naruto finally sat up, his eyes landing on the Ninja Academy application form lying on his small desk. Hiruzen had personally dropped it off, and the Academy year will started in just a month and a half.
"The old man probably thinks I won't even bother applying," Naruto mused, a smirk twisting his lips. "Pretty self-aware for an old guy, huh?"
He glanced at his System interface, a flicker of satisfaction replacing his annoyance.
His XP was climbing steadily now that he was actually running and doing some basic training. Something he still hated but put up with for the sweet rewards.
( Host : Naruto Uzumaki )
( Chakra Capacity : Lower Chunin )
( XP : 19,090 )
'Sweet, enough for three Chunin Level Cards,' he calculated.
The idea of turning eight and being forced into the Academy still gave him the creeps.
"Ugh," he groaned.
Defeating Opponents :
Genin Level : 500 XP
Chunin Level : 2000 XP
Jonin Level : 10,000 XP
Kage Level : 30,000 XP
"Hey, System," he asked, "it says I get XP for beating anyone, but what about Tail Beasts?"
[Tail Beast Level Opponents can yield between 100,000 to 250,000 XP, depending on the specific opponents and host's ability to defeat them efficiently.]
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "So, if I easily beat some Genin scrub, I don't get extra XP for it being easy?"
[No, this bonus only applies to Tail Beast Level Opponents.]
"Oh, I... see." Not entirely thrilled with that answer. Naruto asked, "Why does beating someone give way less XP than what it costs to buy stuff? Especially the Jonin and Kage level stuff."
[This is the only limitation system has, nothing else.]
"So, it's a limitation, huh?"
——
Meanwhile, over in the Uchiha compound, Sasuke was still keeping to himself, Naruto's bombshell still weighing heavily on him.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
The only sound was Sasuke's heavy breathing, completely worn out from training.
Unlike his usual brooding self, Sasuke was throwing all his pent-up feelings into hardcore training – ninjutsu, taijutsu, shurikenjutsu – a desperate attempt to get stronger.
Naruto's blunt words about his weakness had really hit home. He knew deep down he wasn't strong enough yet.
'I have to become strong,'
'Strong enough to kill every last one of them,' he vowed silently, his teeth gritted.
——
At Hokage Office.
Hiruzen puffed thoughtfully on his pipe, his crystal ball showing a blurry image of Naruto in his apartment.
The Anbu's report about Naruto's talk with Sasuke, even though they couldn't hear what was said, had planted a seed of worry in his mind.
"Haa..."
Naruto's continued isolation, only leaving his apartment for food or his lonely runs, was starting to concern the aging Hokage.
The fact that Sasuke, too, had become a recluse, throwing himself into training within the Uchiha grounds, only made Hiruzen more uneasy.
"Just what's going on with these kids?"
While he was glad Sasuke was taking his training seriously, a nagging feeling told him something wasn't right, like a tiny shift in the village's delicate balance might be happening.
'Am I just being paranoid?' He sighed, forcing himself to focus on the mountain of paperwork.
——
Back in his own place, Naruto, having finally filled out his Ninja Academy application, grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a pen.
'Time to figure out what I'm actually good at,' he thought, a focused look in his eyes.
He started writing: 'Wind Release – that's my main thing. Fuinjutsu talent – thanks to Kushina.'
'Maybe some Space-Time stuff? Probably not based on the anime, but worth looking into. Flying Thunder God Jutsu – gotta learn that someday.'
Next, he thought about what he needed.
"Gotta 'borrow' all the Wind Release and Fuinjutsu scrolls, plus that Flying Thunder God scroll, from the Scroll of Seals pretty soon."
"Steal, not borrow," Kurama corrected dryly.
Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Same difference."
He continued his mental list. "Sage Body – potential for Sage Mode/Senjutsu."
'But no way am I going to those toads. Gamamaru's prophecy nonsense? Hard pass.'
'And the Ryuchi Cave snakes? Definitely a NOPE.'
"Shikkotsu Forest… Katsuyu. Yeah, that could work. Katsuyu's pretty chill."
"Alright, these are the things I need to work on in the future."
Naruto knew that just having tons of chakra wasn't enough. Without some actual skills, it was just a waste, and he wasn't about to let that happen.