Uzumaki Naruto jogged all the way home, sweat beading on his forehead.
But the yearning in his heart to become Hokage kept him from feeling tired. On the contrary, a smile still clung to his face.
He opened the refrigerator—completely empty except for a half-used carton of milk.
Naruto grabbed it and began gulping it down.
In no time, the meager amount of milk was gone.
Patting his slightly bulging belly, Naruto let out a satisfied sigh.
He took off his clothes and shoes, then flopped onto the bed.
Thanks to his carefree and easy-going personality, Naruto didn't dwell too much on the villagers' hatred or rejection. His mind was already on tomorrow.
As for why he went to bed so early—just after nightfall—it was simple: Naruto was afraid he'd get hungry again later and wouldn't be able to sleep.
Better to fall asleep now than lie in bed with an empty stomach.
Within minutes, the soft sound of snoring filled the tiny, bare apartment.
"This simple-minded, naïve personality of Naruto's is going to make things difficult."
Within his subconscious, a shadowy figure slowly emerged. The voice belonged to this figure, watching Naruto's sleeping form from the depths of his subconscious.
Chu Ran shook his head helplessly. It was he who had planted the idea in Naruto's heart to become Hokage, subtly guiding it from the subconscious.
Even the direction Naruto had run earlier had been subtly influenced by him.
He had been living inside the boy's body for several years now, hidden within his subconscious.
From the very moment Minato Namikaze died and the Nine-Tails was sealed inside Naruto, Chu Ran had existed.
Armed with his "Darkened Protagonist System," he had been influencing Naruto's thoughts little by little from within.
"When I was watching the anime, it never felt this tragic."
"But reality... is so much crueler. He's the son of a hero, after all."
Chu Ran sighed as he looked at the boy who should never have suffered like this.
Despite being shunned by the entire village, Naruto remained optimistic, facing each day with courage.
He didn't hate anyone—on the contrary, he would go on to become the hero who protected Konoha and saved the ninja world.
This kind of "repay evil with kindness" heroism only seemed possible in anime.
Within the subconscious space, Chu Ran glanced at Naruto, then at the glowing interface floating beside him. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.
[Host: Chu Ran]
[Possessing Character: Uzumaki Naruto]
[Body Strength: 0.5]
[Soul Strength: 3]
[Darkening Progress: 0.87%]
[Darkening Points: 210]
[Darkening Store: Locked]
A normal person's body strength ranged between 0.3 and 1.5, while a ninja's would be even higher.
Soul strength ranged from 0.5 to 1; the stronger the soul, the greater the talent and willpower.
Body strength represented physical durability and natural aptitude.
Chu Ran's own body strength was average for a normal person, but his soul strength was elevated due to transmigrating and inhabiting Naruto's body.
The most important aspect: his stats could stack with Naruto's.
In the original series, Naruto was shown to have poor talent early on—partly because of his lack of serious training, but more so due to interference from the Nine-Tails' chakra.
But now, with Chu Ran's stats added in, even if Naruto wasn't a prodigy, he'd be close to it.
As for "Darkening Points," those could be used to purchase talents or abilities in the "Darkening Store."
However, the store wouldn't unlock until his darkening progress reached at least 10%.
And that—was Chu Ran's system: The Darkened Protagonist System.
It allowed him to subtly influence Naruto's subconscious, leading him step by step toward darkness.
His goal was to mold Naruto into someone completely different from the original—a nightmare for Konoha, or even the entire ninja world.
But at the current rate, that seemed difficult.
Naruto's personality was far too kind. Even when faced with universal rejection, he still remained hopeful and yearned for acceptance.
This was what made Chu Ran's task so tricky. In the beginning, he had tried to plant hatred in Naruto's heart toward the villagers.
But it barely worked. His progress had only reached a measly 1%.
"Becoming Hokage is the first step. Only with a goal will he encounter obstacles."
"And only through hardship will Konoha's darkness slowly reveal itself."
Looking at the peacefully sleeping Naruto, Chu Ran's lips curled into a faint smile.
He no longer planned to directly instill hatred in Naruto.
Instead, he had devised a new plan—he would let Naruto discover the darkness of Konoha all on his own.
The next morning, just as the sky began to brighten…
Naruto stretched and climbed out of bed.
Slipping into his sandals, he glanced at the empty fridge, then went to brush his teeth.
After washing up, he happily dashed off toward the Hokage's office.
This was probably the one day every month that Naruto genuinely looked forward to.
At the start of each month, he would receive his living allowance from the Third Hokage.
It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to buy a hearty bowl of ramen—his favorite food—and his traditional treat on allowance day.
After changing into his clothes, Naruto eagerly ran toward the heart of the village.
Before long, he arrived at the Hokage's building, slipping inside with practiced ease.
But just as he approached the office, he was stopped.
"The Third Hokage is in a meeting with an important guest," the guard said. "You can't go in."
The man was one of Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal guards. Naruto didn't know his name, but the man clearly recognized him—this wasn't Naruto's first visit.
Naruto's expression immediately dimmed.
He knew the Hokage was a busy man. Sometimes he wouldn't even get to see him at all.
But his growling stomach made him ask anyway:
"Um… Do you know when Grandpa Third will be done?"
The guard didn't even bother with courtesy.
He grabbed Naruto by the collar and threw him out of the building.
"No idea. If you want to wait, do it outside."
Those cold, dismissive words snuffed out the spark of hope in Naruto's heart.
Staring up at the symbol of Konoha carved into the stone monument, Naruto's expression fell. He turned away quietly and wandered down the street—alone.
(End of Chapter)
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