In the early morning, when the sky had only just begun to lighten, the quiet moment between night and day enveloped the world in a soft veil of serenity an interlude where nature held its breath.
Behind the mountains surrounding Konohagakure, a winding stream flowed like an elegant brushstroke through a verdant scroll painting, evoking the poetic tranquility of the Land of Fire's wilderness. A light mist rose from the surface, draping the river in a gauzy mystery reminiscent of the genjutsu illusions Naruto had read about in scrolls Sarutobi left behind.
With the first rays of sunlight piercing the mist, golden light scattered across the water's surface, shimmering like countless scattered shards of crystal. The current moved gently in the morning calm, revealing the smooth stones beneath and the swaying riverweed, just like the training pools where Naruto once watched Gai-sensei's students practice chakra control. Occasionally, small fish leapt into the air before plunging back with a splash, forming gentle ripples.
On either side of the banks, green foliage shimmered with morning dew, and droplets clung like chakra beads to the edges of each leaf. The morning breeze stirred the branches, causing the leaves to rustle softly, blending with the distant chorus of birds. Now and then, dew slipped from leaf tips into the stream, creating a delicate cascade of ripples.
There, standing barefoot in the shallow lake with his pant legs rolled up and his shirt off, was Naruto Uzumaki. His wild blond hair dripped slightly from the morning mist, and his blue eyes narrowed into slits as he scanned the surface.
Despite the gentle current and the cold water, Naruto stood completely still focused.
His chakra-infused balance, something he'd practiced obsessively since reading about tree-walking techniques in a scroll Iruka once left behind, kept him rooted atop the surface.
The river had already soaked through the hems of his black pants, and beads of water trailed down the faint lines of developing muscles across his lean torso.
"Plop!"
"Plop!"
"Plop!"
Three fish burst from the surface in unison, momentarily suspended in a spray of water.
Naruto's eyes snapped open.
With a sharp exhale and no wasted motion, he lunged forward, driving a sharpened stick fashioned from a broken practice spear given to him during academy days through the midair targets in one swift strike.
"Breakfast complete," Naruto said with a grin, shaking water from his hair.
He leapt toward the riverbank where a small bonfire crackled near a simple tent. It was a temporary home, pitched a few kilometers from the Hokage Monument, where few villagers ventured.
Naruto had been here for months now, having left the village behind to train in isolation far from the cold stares and whispered judgments that still lingered in Konoha's streets.
He hadn't exactly left under permission, but Sarutobi Hiruzen had not stopped him either.
It had all started the day after he awakened in this world. Hiruzen, wise and cautious, had personally tested Naruto after sensing his unusual chakra signature. The boy, barely out of the academy, had somehow begun chakra refinement an ability few orphans could attain without guidance.
Naruto had deflected all suspicion. He told Hiruzen about the strange vision he'd had a caged fox offering him power and acceptance if he followed instructions.
The tale had frightened Hiruzen. The idea that the Nine-Tails had consciously influenced Naruto, let alone promised ninjutsu, raised immediate alarms. He'd almost summoned Enma, his personal summon, on the spot.
But after careful inspection of the Eight Trigrams Seal left by Minato Namikaze himself, Hiruzen found no sign of breach. Relieved, he offered Naruto guidance instead.
Despite this, the old Hokage increased his visits. Once a month became twice, then weekly.
Now, as Naruto cleaned the fish, gutting them swiftly with the precision of someone used to camp life, he skewered them onto thick twigs and set them above the fire to roast.
Just as the aroma began to fill the clearing, the sound of shuffling sandals and a soft cough caught his ear.
Without turning, Naruto already knew.
Sure enough, Sarutobi Hiruzen emerged from the tree line, his robes slightly ruffled by the wind, a warm smile softening the tired lines of his face.
"Grilled fish again, Naruto? You never change," he chuckled.
'Why is this old guy always here right before breakfast?' Naruto thought, forcing a grin. 'Doesn't the Hokage get food at home?'
But aloud, he beamed. "Grandpa Sandaime! Want some fish?"
He held up a nearly cooked one, golden and crackling.
"Thank you kindly."
Hiruzen accepted it, eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.
Still such a good boy, he thought. Even after everything, Naruto chooses to spare the village more pain by training away from their glares. The Will of Fire truly burns in him.
Naruto, meanwhile, gritted his teeth slightly. Three fish. Just enough for me.
"Kid, if you don't want to share, just say so," came the deep, growling voice in his mind.
Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, sounded almost annoyed.
"You don't get it," Naruto replied internally. "If I don't offer it, he'll probably drag me to Anbu and give me some long speech about 'the Will of Fire' again. One fish for peace of mind? Worth it."
"Feh. Humans. Always twisting around the truth because they're too weak to speak plainly."
"Exactly why you're sealed in here with me."
Kurama snarled softly from within the seal.
"Be careful of bones, Grandpa Sandaime," Naruto said with mock sincerity.
Hiruzen's smile deepened. "Grandpa knows."
The two sat together on a smooth boulder, steam rising from the skewered fish as they ate in silence.
Sunlight danced off Naruto's golden hair. For a moment, the Hokage saw Minato's silhouette.
After swallowing the last bite, Hiruzen asked, "Training again today?"
"Yes!" Naruto nodded, eyes bright. "I want to protect the village... and maybe, finally, be accepted."
Still nothing from the system, he mused. It gave me chakra refinement on day one, then went silent.
He'd wandered the village hoping to trigger something—got scolded by old women, challenged by Kiba, and ignored by academy students. Still, no events.
In the end, he'd focused instead on his other advantage: the Nine Meteor Tears Lama Technique, a brutal training method designed to push his body past its limits.
Even if it kills me, I'll train harder.
He wasn't truly alone—Kurama sensed two squads of Anbu keeping discreet watch at all times.
"What a fine boy," Hiruzen said aloud, glancing toward a large training stone covered in thousands of impact marks—proof of Naruto's dedication.
With that bloodline and the fox's chakra, even without full mastery, he'll be elite, he thought.
"I'll do it. I'll become the strongest," Naruto said, pounding his chest.
Then his confident look wavered.
Hiruzen noticed. "Something bothering you?"
After a pause, Naruto said, "I've mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and Rasengan. Can you teach me something new?"
Hiruzen was stunned. He'd known Naruto had picked up Shadow Clones thanks to Mizuki's treachery but Rasengan? That was Minato's original jutsu.
"Minato," Hiruzen whispered. Your son really is something else.
"Your talent even surpasses the Fourth Hokage," he finally said.
Naruto blushed, scratching his cheek. "I just… want to be a hero too."
Hiruzen's eyes misted slightly. For a moment, Naruto's form flickered with Minato's afterimage.
"In that case," he said, "today I'll teach you the nature transformation and shape manipulation of chakra. The Rasengan is shape. Now, it's time you learned how to add elemental change."
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